Human rights and religious litigation – faith in the law?

This is the era of human rights and religious litigation. Recent years have witnessed an unprecedented rise in the number of cases where the principles of non-discrimination and equality have been pitted against the right to freedom of religion or belief. This article seeks to examine this development with regard to an issue that is particularly synonymous with controversy – legal conflicts between conservative religious believers and people from LGBTIQ+ communities. The article’s primary focus is on the adverse consequences of excessive litigation in this field. In order to tackle the problem of conservative faith/LGBTIQ+ disputes it is suggested that a more holistic approach is needed, based on the principles of compromise, dignity and empathy. The proposed mechanism by which such an approach might be effected is that of ‘meaningful engagement’, a dispute resolution strategy that has been recognised by the South African Constitutional Court.