Group tries to ban council prayers

A GROUP which campaigns against “established state religion” is waiting to hear whether a High Court judge will rule that a council has acted “unlawfully” by saying prayers before meetings.

In what could be a test case, the National Secular Society yesterday challenged the “practice of holding religious prayers” during meetings of Bideford Town Council in Devon. The society said it breached the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects an individual’s right to freedom of conscience.

Bideford disputed the claims. Its QC said councillors could refuse to participate in prayers. Mr Justice Ouseley reserved judgment to a date to be fixed after a day-long hearing.