Consultation Responses and Submissions

Consultation Responses and Submissions

Read our submissions and consultation responses. These contain plenty of facts, statistics and ideas that you may find helpful in your own discussions and debates.

Consultation Responses

A significant part of our output, which often receives less attention, is our submissions to Government or international bodies' consultations. A selection of these submissions can be found below.

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UPR Submission on the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 41st session (November 2022)
Wed, 30 Mar 2022

The United Kingdom's last recent periodic review in 2020 by the UNCRC exposed some significant variances between legislation and Government policy, and the UK's Convention obligations. We therefore recommend that the UNHRC's universal periodic review should take note of these variances.

Mon, 21 Mar 2022

The Department of Justice is consulting on a new Hate Crime Bill which would reform Northern Ireland's hate crime laws.

We've expressed concerns regarding freedom of speech, suggested other strategies for tackling hate, and said the consultation is a missed opportunity to repeal NI's blasphemy laws.

Tue, 08 Mar 2022

The Ministry of Justice consulted on reforming the Human Rights Act 1998.

The NSS responded saying that any reform of the Human Rights Act should not dilute freedom of religion or belief in the UK, or negatively affect the implementation of the Article 9 right to freedom of religion, thought and conscience.

We also urged the government to ensure that any proposed bill of rights includes robust protections for freedom of expression, and said the right to judicial review is a vital mechanism for holding public authorities to account.

Tue, 01 Mar 2022

A Call for Views has been by the Northern Ireland Executive Office launched to inform the development of two new strategies:

(i) a Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy, led jointly by the Department of Health and the Department of Justice; and

(ii) an Equally Safe Strategy (a Strategy to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls) led by the Executive Office.

In our response, we outlined the specific issues where religious imposition has played a role in abuse and violence against women and girls.

Tue, 08 Feb 2022

We submitted evidence to the independent review, calling for comprehensive reform of the existing system, without fear or favour to existing interests. Our submission focused on issues of religious privilege, discrimination and control in the current system, as well as the barriers to, and potential for, a more inclusive alternative.

Tue, 08 Feb 2022

We submitted evidence to the independent review, calling for comprehensive reform of the existing system, without fear or favour to existing interests. Our submission focused on issues of religious privilege, discrimination and control in the current system, as well as the barriers to, and potential for, a more inclusive alternative.

Wed, 02 Feb 2022

The Department of Finance consulted on two separate aspects of the marriage law:

1. A proposed legislative change that would see the inclusion in our marriage law of belief marriage (marriage solemnised by a celebrant who subscribes to a non-religious philosophy such as humanism)

2. The minimum age at which people can legally marry or enter into a civil partnership, currently 16.

The NSS supports both proposals, but warned that more is needed to make marriage more inclusive and prevent forced marriage.

Mon, 17 Jan 2022

This consultation seeks views on the government's proposals to continue to permit outdoor civil marriages and civil partnerships on approved premises, and to permit outdoor religious marriages in the grounds of places of worship.

The NSS supports the proposals, and urges the government to adopt the broader reforms to marriage law in England & Wales proposed by the Law Commission.

Wed, 05 Jan 2022

This consultation seeks views on the Scottish Government's vision and approach to ending the need for food banks as a primary response to food insecurity, and invites further suggestions on what more can be done to shape a national plan.

The National Secular Society responded warning about religious discrimination and proselytising conducted by some religious groups running food banks and debt advice services.

Consultation to reduce primary school places in the Abram area - NSS response
Mon, 13 Dec 2021

The closure of a non-faith school in Wigan would further reduce the already limited options for secular education. Our response argues that this would be unfair and discriminatory, and may breech the Council's duty to provide adequate school places.

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