Religion & Law

The Power of Prayer or the Power to Pray Hardwicke Chambers
“Bideford Town Council is a parish council in Devon. Each month it holds full council meetings in public. At the start of each meeting there are communal prayers. Prayers are deliberately placed before apologies so that those who do not wish to attend are not marked as absent and can attend after prayers...

St Albans has stalled core strategy until NPPF is finalised
St Albans City and District Council has announced that it will not issue its core strategy until after the final publication of the Government's National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the revocation of the East of England plan.

Prayer at Newport News, VA council meetings: Group wants to eliminate before-meeting prayers
Daily Press: The Freedom From Religion Foundation is urging the City Council to ax prayers before council meetings.

UK: Ban councils Christian prayers, say secularists
Christian Institute: "A secular campaign group is trying to use the courts to ban a North Devon Council from starting its meetings with Christian prayers. Bideford Town Council has had prayers at its meetings since the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, but now the National Secular Society (NSS) says the practice infringes the human rights of non-believers...

UK: Allow council prayers here too, say Welsh councillors
Christian Institute: The Welsh Government is being urged to restore prayers to council meetings following a similar move in England.

Bakersfield council prayers too Christian
Bakersfield.com: "Bakersfield is the second city in Kern County to have prayers at city council meetings challenged by the Freedom From Religion Foundation Inc., a Wisconsin nonprofit with a membership of mostly atheists and agnostics...

Alabama Restaurant Association Hires Legal Council to Help Members Damaged by BP Oil Spill
Alabama Restaurant Association Hires Legal Council to Help Members Damaged by BP Oil Spill>

Probation User Fees
Clark County Council pays $1.1 million settlement after misappropriating funds.