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02 February 2018
Public lecture focuses on diversity as foundation for equality
Prof Shaun de Freitas (Department of Public Law), Dr Mwiza Nkhatha (Postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Human Rights), Prof Iain Benson and Prof Jan Pretorius (Centre for Human Rights)
The Free State Centre for Human Rights at the University of the Free State (UFS) held a public lecture at the Bloemfontein Campus on 30 January 2018 titled Putting religion in brackets: the importance of diversity in the public square by Prof Iain T Benson, Professor of Law at the University of Notre Dame in Sydney, Australia, and, for the past seven years, extraordinary Professor of Law at the UFS.

Conflict between religion and modernity
According to Prof Benson, there have been attempts to exclude so-called old-fashioned ideas from modernity. He gave examples of political and moral objections to public money being spent on religious education by schools, and the prevalence of terminology that stigmatises alternative opinions that may be based on religion, such as “homophobia”. He also referred to an instance in which the accreditation of a Canadian Christian university was challenged because its covenant explicitly rejected certain practices, such as extramarital relationships and same-sex marriage – the objections centred on an institution with such views receiving public benefits.

The challenge of inclusion in a growing secular society
Last year, a South African court found that schools may not promote a single faith to the exclusion of others. “According to the constitution, we have the right to hold religious beliefs. However, there are limitations on religious practices. Each society must draw a line,” he said. In the South African case, he explained, “the court rejected a blanket exclusion of religion in schools. If religion is a right, how can it be voted out of existence?”

Prof Benson argued that the ideology of secularism, the separation of church and state, is making inroads into how we understand religion. If agnostic or atheist viewpoints are accepted in the public sphere, it should not mean that religious beliefs should be abolished. “A diversity of beliefs should be accommodated and every citizen, whether religious or not, may be a part of public life,” he said. He concluded by saying that we lived in a particularly difficult time for a religious believer in the public sphere.

News Archive

Public Protector visited Faculty of Law
2005-09-23

On 21 September 2005 the Public Protector visited the Faculty of Law.  This event took place at 10:00 in the Senate Hall of the CR Swart Building, after which a light lunch was served for the delegates and staff of the Faculty.

The purpose of the visit was to spell out the roles, functions and powers of the Public Protector, to promote public awareness and transparency and to increase contact between the Faculty and the Public Protector.  Sufficient time was allowed to answer all the questions posed by various parties, and brochures were made available.

All law students and staff members of the Faculty were invited to the occasion.  The presentations also included information regarding career possibilities for students with the Public Protector’s office.  This organization is more than willing to involve students in community service projects and would keep in contact with the Faculty in this regard.

All the representatives of the Public Protector’s office who visited the Faculty are in the law profession:

The following persons made presentations:

Mr P Nthotso:  Independent Complaints Directorate
Ms L Mdalane: Directorate of Special Operations – Scorpions
Ms M Thetlhu: South African Human Rights Commission
Mr A Madiba:  Office of the Public Protector.

The persons mentioned above were accompanied by their supervisors, viz. Mr L Mashee (Head Public Awareness, Free State) and Ms SD Griessel (Provincial representative for the Public Protector, Free State).  A further two employees of the Public Protector attended as observers, viz. Mr T Kgabeginyane and Mr MR Matlesoane.

The Public Protector functions independently and reports directly to Parliament.

Staff and students found the visit very informative and valuable contacts were made in the process.

 



Back from left: Ms Michelle Havenga (President of the Faculty of Law's Juridical Society ), Ms Masego Thethu (South African Human Rights Commission), Ms  Lebo Mdalane (Directorate Special Projects of the Scorpions) and Mr  Pieter Nthotso (Independent Complaints Directorate).
Front from left: Mrs Soné Griessel (Provincial Representative of the Public Protector in the Free State) and Prof Carel van der M Fick (Head:  Department of Criminal Procedure and Philosophy of Law at the UFS Faculty of Law).

 

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