Freedom From Religion
Professor Weiler’s lecture will focus on the March 2011 decision of the European Court of Human Rights inLautsi v. Italy, which held that the Italian law providing for the display of the crucifix in public schools does not violate the European Convention on Human Rights. That ruling overturned a previous, unanimous decision by a smaller group of judges of the same court, that had found that crucifixes could not be displayed in Italian schools. The Grand Chamber decision represents a major victory for religious rights and religious pluralism in Europe. Additional information on the importance of the ruling and international response to the decision can be found online at: http://www.ilsussidiario.net/
Professor Weiler’s lecture and the several interdisciplinary seminars to be presented during his three day visit to the University are sponsored by the College of Arts and Letters, the Notre Dame Law School’s Program on Church, State, and Society and its Program on Law and Human Development, the Nanovic Institute for European Studies, the Department of Theology, and the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study (NDIAS). This lecture is open to students, faculty, staff, and members of the public.