Religious Freedom World Report

Prepared by the International Coalition for Religious Freedom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom as a whole has no written constitution or bill of rights. There is, however, considered to be an unwritten constitution based on custom, common law and legislation enacted by Parliament. By law, the sovereign of the United Kingdom must be a Protestant. The Church of England is the established church of England, and the Presbyterian Church is the established church of Scotland. The law requires that religious education must be provided by all schools which receive government funding. Parents may opt to have their children exempted from these classes. Publication of "scurrilous and offensive references to Christianity that go beyond the limits of proper controversy" may, under the law, be punishable as blasphemous libel. Other than this, the law guarantees freedom of thought, conscience and religion and the right to worship and promote one’s belief. Rights of religious freedom are generally respected.

One notable exception to this generalization is the fact that, although the UK is not a member of the Schengen Treaty, it has forbidden Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the founder of the Unification Church, from entering its borders.

2003 US State Department International Religious Freedom Report on United Kingdom

Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion or Belief Report on United Kingdom

 

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