Ombudsman: 50,000-member Requirement for Church Registration Too Strict

Bratislava, 20 May (TASR) - Ombudsman Robert Dobrovodsky on Wednesday told a press conference that he's challenged the conditions for registering churches and religious societies before the Constitutional Court regarding the requirement that they must have at least 50,000 members - adult Slovak nationals with permanent residence in Slovakia - which makes church registration de facto impossible. He said that he's not questioning the state's policy regarding churches or culture, as his submission addresses only two provisions of the Act on the Freedom of Religion and the Status of Churches and Religious Societies. "The submission isn't aimed at destabilising the already recognised registered churches in Slovakia," said Dobrovodsky, adding that he addressed this issue in his annual report and called on MPs to amend the applicable legislation. According to him, the Culture Ministry was also aware of his objections. With a submission filed with the Constitutional Court on 12 May, Dobrovodsky is seeking to initiate proceedings to assess whether the provisions of the law comply with the Slovak Constitution and the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. According to Dobrovodsky, legislation set in this manner constitutes disproportionate interference in the freedom of religion and the right to manifest one's religion in community with others. "The state can regulate the conditions for registering churches and religious societies, but it mustn't set the rules so strictly that registration becomes practically impossible," stated Dobrovodsky, adding that registration is linked to other rights and legal implications, such as holding religious services and other religious acts. His proposal is partly based on recommendations of the Venice Commission and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) aimed at preventing requirements concerning an unreasonably high number of members. jrg/df