Council drops prayer sessions

Reporter

Wednesday 27 June 2012

A COUNCIL has decided to scrap prayers before its meetings in favour of new 10-minute "pause for reflection" sessions.

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Jody Harrison

Edinburgh City Council Lord Provost Donald Wilson and group leaders backed the move, which will open up the opportunity for reflection to all staff and visitors at full council meetings.

It came after the National Secular Society (NSS) urged Scottish councils to drop prayers sessions and singled out Edinburgh City Council, calling on it to "cease the practice of prayers until it has conducted an official review and determined by debate it is legal under Scottish law or desirable to continue with the practice".

The NSS previously won a High Court ruling against prayers held by Bideford Town Council in Devon, but it only applied to England and Wales. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles later moved to reverse that decision. Edinburgh City Council said yesterday representatives from a wide variety of religious, civic and community interests will be asked to lead the pause for reflection, which will be held in the main council chamber.Mr Wilson said: "Scotland's capital is a place of tolerance, fairness and diversity and I am more than proud to stand as First Citizen in such a forward-looking city. "As a council, we have a duty to respect the beliefs, opinions and interests of all our residents, which is why this review of prayers at full council meetings seems entirely appropriate. "These pause for reflection sessions will be genuinely inclusive, providing a time for contemplation open to all staff, councillors and visitors attending full council meetings. "I will be inviting suggestions for future speakers from all my elected member colleagues to ensure the pause for reflection programme covers the broadest possible spectrum of faith, community and civic interests."The start of each session will be signalled by a bell at 9.50am on the day of a full council meeting, at which point the Lord Provost will accompany the individual delivering the session into the chamber. The first pause for reflection will be held prior to the council's meeting tomorrow.In its court action against Bideford Town Council, the NSS argued it is "wholly inappropriate for a group of publicly elected members to appear corporately to subscribe to any religious beliefs, far less one in particular" and "imperative that the council reflects the diversity of the community it serves".In its ruling on the issue, the High Court banned prayers from meetings, although Mr Justice Ouseley rejected human rights and equality challenges. Instead, he said formal prayers at council meetings were unlawful because the Local Government Act 1972 meant councils had no power to "say prayers or to have any period of quiet reflection as part of the business of the council". However, Mr Pickles intervened, giving councils in England the powers to make their own decisions on the matter. Last month, Dumfries and Galloway Council announced it was dropping prayers at its meetings as part of moves to "eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation or any other prohibited conduct" and "advance equality of opportunity".An NSS spokesman said: "We welcome Edinburgh Council's removal of prayers from the body of the meeting. The more inclusive pause for reflections will permit councillors and members of staff who do not wish to participate in prayers from having to do so without having to absent themselves."

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Council drops prayer sessions

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