October 18, 2011
Professor
Mark L. Movsesian, Director of the School of Law’s
Center for Law and Religion, recently served as a delegate at
the
Forum 2000 Conference, an annual gathering of academics and
policymakers hosted by Vaclav Havel in Prague. His fellow delegates
included:
- Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz
- Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan
- Economist Hernando de Soto,
- Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili
- Carnegie Corporation President Vartan Gregorian
An audience of over 3000 observers from around the world
gathered to hear expert panelists and speakers present on this
year’s conference theme,“Democracy and Law.”
Professor Movsesian participated in two panels on law and religion.
The first, “Religion, Ethics, and Law,” asked whether
secularization had led to a separation of law from morality.
Drawing an example from American legal ethics, Movsesian noted
that, 100 years ago, a lawyer had a duty to counsel clients on the
need for “strict compliance” with “moral law.” By contrast,
nowadays, a lawyer’s duty is to provide strictly legal advice;
moral advice is optional. He argued that the change could be
understood, at least in part, as an effect of
secularization.
Video One
Video Two
Photo
Gallery
The second panel, “Religious and Secular Law,” dealt with potential
conflicts between religious and civil legal codes. Professor
Movsesian argued that the relationship between religious and
secular law will be a crucial issue in coming years. Religion is
resurging around the world, he observed, and there will likely be
many occasions of conflict between secular and religious law. He
discussed two doctrinal examples from the United States: the
ministerial exception, currently before the Supreme Court in the
Hosanna-Tabor case, and restrictions on religious practice
under Employment Division v. Smith.
“I was honored to be in such august company,” Professor Movsesian
said. “It was a wonderful opportunity to hear diverse perspectives
on law-and-religion controversies around the world.”
“Professor Movsesian’s participation in the Forum 2000 Conference
exemplifies St. John’s commitment to advancing the global
conversation about the important relationship of law and religion,”
said Dean
Michael A. Simons. “This same commitment is the cornerstone of
our Center for Law and Religion and the St. John’s Center for
International and Comparative Law.”
You can read Professor Movsesian’s posts about the conference at
the Center for Law and religion’s blog, CLR Forum.