Freedom 4 Faith’s Submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission – February 2015

Freedom for Faith

Religious freedom consists, at a minimum, of five basic freedoms: freedom to manifest a religion through religious observance and practice; freedom to appoint people of faith to organizations run by faith communities; freedom to teach and uphold moral standards within faith communities; freedom of conscience; and freedom to teach and propagate religion. These basic liberties have long been recognised by the common law and are inherent in the concept of religious freedom in international law, particularly Article 18 of the ICCPR. Freedom 4 Faith believes that the protection and promotion of freedom of religion is essential to Australia’s multicultural society and that protecting freedom of religion is an indivisible part of safeguarding other fundamental freedoms.