ABSTRACT
This chapter examines a number of well-known examples of State restrictions on religious practice across Australia's history. The examples include restrictions on Roman Catholics in the early colony, the banning of the Jehovah's Witnesses during World War Two, the banning of Scientology, the provision of blood transfusions to the children of Jehovah's Witnesses and restriction of the wearing of face coverings. The chapter examines the desirability of any of the restrictions. Many are arguably based on good public policy considerations. In 1941, the complete banning of the Jehovah's Witnesses, the State shut down radio station 5KA and three other associated stations controlled by the Witnesses. While the closure of radio station 5KA, and its associated stations, demonstrated the level of concern in Australia about the beliefs of the Jehovah's Witnesses, it did not directly restrict their religious practices. The State restrictions on the Jehovah's witnesses may be explainable as the result of wartime paranoia.
