Sir, – It is a strange phenomenon that, during the holiest of weeks in the Christian calendar, public worship in our country is banned.
Referring to the ban on public worship in Scotland, last week in the Scottish Court of Session Judge Braid said that, in relation to the practice of religion guaranteed by Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights, there was “no evidence that the government had accorded the importance which such a fundamental right deserves”. The judge, having considered whether the restrictions were a proportionate response to the government’s desire to protect public health, concluded that the government had erred by equating public worship with non-essential activity. He deemed the ban to be disproportionate and illegal.
It seems to many people that our Government also considers public worship to be a non-essential activity. We still await the evidence to support the ban in our country. – Yours, etc,
MÁIRE WHITE,
Kinlough,
Co Leitrim.