The School of Law’s Professor Jane Mair recently undertook research on behalf of the Humanist Society Scotland to examine the place of religion within Scots law, the results of which were published earlier this year.

Professor Mair carried out the study in conjunction with Professor Callum Brown (Department of History) and Dr Thomas Green (Honorary Research Fellow, School of Law).

The research was undertaken to establish the extent to which religious ideas, rules and influences impact upon the legal frameworks governing the lives of everyday people. The focus of the report includes areas such as Education and Marriage, the special status of the Church of Scotland, formerly the nation's "Established church", and fields such as equality and employment law.

The report concludes that there has a weakening of the position of religion in Scots law in all areas, except education, where it has been significantly strengthened in recent years.

The study gained broad coverage in the national press, a selection of which can be found below:

• The Herald: 'Landmark report: Influence of religion on Scottish schools increasing'

• STV: 'Religious influence on schools 'strengthened significantly'

• BBC: 'Humanists call for end to religious influence in schools'

• The National: 'Religion is losing influence on Scottish life ... except in education'

• CommonSpace: 'For God’s sake: University report identifies religious privileges in Scots law'

• Christian Today: 'Religious influence increasing in Scottish schools'

• Scottish Legal News: 'Religion’s influence on Scots law declining in every area except education'

Read Jane Mair's article in The Scotsman: 'Comment: Questions of belief arise in families and employment'

First published: 25 April 2016

<< April Newsletter