The Brief: Freedom of religion, or freedom to discriminate?

A government review of freedom of religion laws in Australia last month sparked outrage after it suggested that faith-based schools ought to have the right to turn away gay students and teachers.

This week on The Brief, Edwina Landale hears from Professor Margaret Thornton about Australia’s legal ambiguity when it comes to religion and discrimination. Topics discussed include what the proposed religious exemptions would involve, whether employment and educational discrimination should be treated differently, and how Australia’s secular-religious divide has changed over the last 20 years.

Margaret Thornton is Professor of Law at the Australian National University, specialising in socio-legal issues and feminist scholarship. She is a Barrister of the Supreme Court of NSW and the High Court of Australia, and has published extensively on issues relating to discrimination and the law.

Edwina Landale is the presenter of The Brief. She is a student of Politics, Philosophy, and Economics at the ANU.

Show notes | The following were referred to in this episode:

God Under Howard: The rise of the religious right in Australian politics by Marion Maddox

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This episode of Policy Forum Pod was written and produced by Edwina Landale.

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