Don’t erode free speech, NSS warns Scottish parliament
Posted: Thu, 23 Jul 2020
The NSS has warned the Scottish parliament that proposals to outlaw 'stirring up hatred' would unacceptably erode freedom of expression. Read More »
Parliament set to debate China’s persecution of Uighur Muslims
Posted: Wed, 22 Jul 2020
Parliament is expected to debate China's persecution of Uighur Muslims after more than 100,000 people signed a petition demanding action on the issue.
The petition, which has amassed 125,000 signatures at the time of writing, calls on the government to impose... Read More »
Plans for new faith schools not being properly scrutinised, says NSS
Posted: Sat, 18 Jul 2020
Proposals to open 19 new faith schools in England aren't being properly scrutinised because of a lack of transparency, the NSS has said. Read More »
Success: government won’t extend same-sex marriage exemptions in NI
Posted: Fri, 17 Jul 2020
The government has confirmed businesses won't be able to refuse services for same-sex marriages in Northern Ireland after NSS lobbying. Read More »
'Free to Disagree' campaign urges rethink of Scottish hate crime bill
Posted: Fri, 17 Jul 2020
The NSS has joined Christian campaigners and others in calling for a rethink of plans to criminalise 'stirring up hatred' in Scotland. Read More »
Jehovah's Witnesses restructure mustn’t impede abuse payouts, says NSS
Posted: Wed, 15 Jul 2020
The NSS has urged regulators to ensure the restructuring of JW charities doesn't obstruct abuse victims from claiming compensation. Read More »
Overhaul of RE in Wales begins with new bill
Posted: Thu, 09 Jul 2020
The Welsh government has published legislation to replace religious education with a more pluralistic 'religion, values and ethics' subject. Read More »
Christian charity can’t discriminate against gay carers, court rules
Posted: Wed, 08 Jul 2020
The NSS has welcomed a ruling that a Christian fostering service acted unlawfully by refusing to let gay people be carers. Read More »
Hate crime bill threatens free speech on religion, NSS tells minister
Posted: Fri, 03 Jul 2020
The NSS and Edinburgh Secular Society have warned the Scottish government that its hate crime bill threatens free speech on religion. Read More »
NSS urges ministers to reject Catholic leaders’ pleading over RE
Posted: Fri, 03 Jul 2020
The NSS has urged the Welsh government to reject objections from Catholic leaders to plans to reform RE. Read More »
UK’s approach to male genital cutting is “indefensible”, says expert
Posted: Fri, 03 Jul 2020
The UK's legal approach to male genital cutting "must be changed" to protect children, a legal expert has argued in an acclaimed article. Read More »
Minister to correct record on hate crime bill after NSS intervention
Posted: Fri, 26 Jun 2020
Scotland's justice secretary will offer to correct the parliamentary record after he misrepresented part of a bill on hate crime. Read More »
Mandatory declaration of religion breaches human rights, says NSS
Posted: Fri, 26 Jun 2020
The National Secular Society has challenged a requirement that parents in Greece must declare their religion on children's birth certificates in an intervention at the European Court of Human Rights.
In Papanikolaou v Greece, the ECHR is considering whether... Read More »
Independent faith schools being allowed to fail children, says NSS
Posted: Thu, 25 Jun 2020
The government is allowing independent faith schools which raise serious concerns to fail inspections repeatedly, the NSS has warned. Read More »
Catholic school heads oppose pluralistic religious education plans
Posted: Wed, 24 Jun 2020
The heads of all 84 Catholic schools in Wales have claimed government plans for reform "strike at the very identity of Catholic schools". Read More »
Nigerian Humanist leader ‘faces charges over insulting religion’
Posted: Wed, 17 Jun 2020
The UK government has said the president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria has been charged over claims he insulted religion. Read More »
Tackle charities promoting ‘conversion therapy’, NSS urges minister
Posted: Wed, 10 Jun 2020
The NSS has urged the government to consider the role of charities as it looks into ways to end anti-gay 'conversion therapy'. Read More »
Ministers take up case of Nigerian Humanist arrested for blasphemy
Posted: Fri, 05 Jun 2020
The government has said it's looking in to the case of the arrested Nigerian Humanist leader Mubarak Bala "on an urgent basis". Read More »
Push government on caste discrimination, NSS tells UN rapporteur
Posted: Fri, 29 May 2020
The NSS has urged the UN special rapporteur on minority issues to push the government to outlaw discrimination on the grounds of 'caste'. Read More »
Schools won’t compromise on relationships education, rabbis tell PM
Posted: Thu, 21 May 2020
Seventeen rabbis have said Charedi Jewish schools won't compromise with government requirements to teach about same-sex couples. Read More »
