ABSTRACT
Human rights law, by its very nature, has an international dimension. This chapter begins by considering what is meant by human rights in the particular context as far as the legal system is concerned, and discusses whether the legal framework concerning religion enhances or weakens religious freedom. It then looks at the way in which various religious groups view human rights in their understanding. The original government consultation on the introduction of same-sex marriage had proceeded on the basis of discussing 'equal civil marriage' and religious groups were to be banned from conducting same-sex marriages. However, the feedback from the majority of respondents made it clear that there was a groundswell of opinion in favour of permitting faith groups that supported same-sex marriages to do so. Much of the teaching and heritage on human rights is shared by different Christian Churches.
