The International Center for Law and Religion Studies is pleased to announce that Brett G. Scharffs has been appointed as an Associate Director of the Center. Professor Scharffs has worked closely with the Center in the past as a Regional Advisor for Asia and will continue to perform this function in conjunction with his new role as Associate Director.

Welcoming this announcement, Cole Durham, Director of the Center, noted, “Professor Scharffs has been a great colleague and a major contributor to the work of the Center for many years, and we are looking forward to... [more]

On June 21-23, 2008, Professor Cole Durham, Professor Robert Smith, and Dr. David Kirkham from the ICLRS participated in the annual meeting of the organization Focus on FoRB. This conference included the participation of a number of distinguished scholars, including Asma Jahangir, the U.N. Special Rapporteur of Freedom of Religion or Belief. During the 3-day... [more]

As a result of the generous support by the Noot family, the Gerard Noodt Foundation for Religious Freedom has been established in the Netherlands. It will assist with a number of important initiatives, including continuing sponsorship of the Strasbourg Conference, an important initiative... [more]

The members of the Strasbourg Conference Consortium met in Geneva on June 22, 2008 to reinvigorate their efforts highlighting the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights affecting religious freedom or belief. As a result of this meeting, the Consortium plans to hold an annual conference in Strasbourg, France, where the European Court of Human Rights is located. The Court has treaty power to review the decisions of... [more]

The International Center for Law and Religion Studies is pleased to announce the launch of its new and improved website. The new look and updated features will make it easier for users to navigate and will help the Center in its aims of providing valuable international law and religion resources.

The visibility of the Center's three websites, iclrs.org, strasbourgconference.org, and religlaw.org has been increasing in recent years. Recent Google... [more]

The J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University recently established the Sterling and Eleanor Colton Chair of Law and Religion to honor the lives and contributions of Sterling and Eleanor Colton. This is the first chair established since 1992, and only the fourth endowed chair established at the law school. The endowment created by the chair will be used... [more]

Professor Robert T. Smith introduced Scott G. Cameron, Associate Dean of External Relations, as the new chairman of the Center's Development Committee on July 8, 2008. The Development Committee was organized in 2006 as a successor to the cornerstone campaign which successfully raised funds for the Center's endowment. Professor Smith has been the chairman of the... [more]

On July 10, Professor Cole Durham addressed Belgium's Senate in a colloquium on the subject of independently monitoring religious freedom and discrimination. The conference, entitled "Church & State and Religious Freedom in the 21st Century: How can Religion contribute to Peace and Security? Emerging Religions and Educational Challenges," is intended to... [more]