The International Center for Law and Religion Studies at Brigham Young University will host the 17th Annual International Law and Religion Symposium, “Religion in Contemporary Legal Systems,” Oct. 3-6 on the BYU campus.
The symposium will bring together some 75 delegates from 41 countries to discuss three main topics: Islam in contemporary legal systems; religion, law and the encounter with secularism; and the challenge of protecting religious sensitivities.
The opening session on Sunday, Oct. 3, will feature keynote addresses by renowned jurist Tahir Mahmood, past member of the Law Commission of India, and the Honorable Thomas B. Griffith, Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. This session, beginning at 7 p.m. MDT in the Moot Court Room of the J. Reuben Clark Law School, will be available through live Internet streaming.
For more information and to register, visit www.iclrs.org and click on the Symposium 2010 tab.
This year for the first time the center will welcome delegates from the republics of Bangladesh and Cape Verde, bringing to 113 the number of countries represented by more than 850 scholars, educators, government officials, human rights workers and religious leaders who have come together at BYU over the years to discuss principles of religious liberty and to explore how to better implement those principles in their own countries and in their broader spheres of influence.
Formally established in January 2000, the center has provided the institutional base for longer-term initiatives in the field of law and religion throughout the world, helping BYU emerge as a recognized leader in the field of religious rights both nationally and internationally. The center’s directors have lectured and published widely about the law and religion, have testified before legislatures and courts, and have sponsored conferences, seminars, and training sessions in all parts of the world.
“This year’s symposium promises to be outstanding,” said Robert T. Smith, ICLRS managing director at the J. Reuben Clark Law School. “The topics are both timely and exceptionally relevant to recent world events, and our delegates are very well suited to speak to these issues.”
The center is dedicated to securing freedom of religion and belief for all people by expanding, deepening, and disseminating knowledge and expertise regarding the interrelationship of law and religion. It facilitates the growth of networks of scholars, experts, and policy makers involved in the field of religion and law and makes significant contributions to law reform processes and broader implementation of principles of religious freedom worldwide.
For additional information, visit the center’s website at www.iclrs.org.
Writer: Jessi Slezak
