Ukrainian Constitutional Court permits public religious services without authorization
KYIV. Sept 14 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian Constitutional Court proclaimed unconstitutional a clause of the Law on Freedom of Worship and Religious Organizations, which mandated permission of local authorities for holding public religious services.
The Ukrainian Constitutional Court on Tuesday made a decision on the constitutional submission of the Verkhovna Rada's human rights ombudsman regarding the constitutionality of clauses in Part 5, Article 21 of the Ukrainian Law on Freedom of Worship and Religious Organization dated April 23, 1991 (advance notification about public religious service, religious rites, ceremonies or processions), an Interfax correspondent reported.
The ombudsman asked the Constitutional Court to verify the constitutionality of the law with amendments, according to which "every public religious service, religious rite, ceremony and procession required permission of local authorities, village, town or city executive administration, to be issued at least ten days before the event [...] except in urgent cases."
The Constitutional Court declared unconstitutional the clauses of the aforesaid law and the Soviet Supreme Council Presidium's order 'On the Procedure for Organizing and Holding Assemblies, Rallies, Street Marches and Demonstrations in the USSR' dated July 28, 1988. Those norms became null and void on the day the Constitutional Court published its ruling.
