Legislation on council prayers receives Royal Assent

The Local Government (Religious Observances) Act, which is intended to ensure all councils have the right to hold prayers at the start of their meetings, has received Royal Assent this month.

The Department for Communities and Local Government said: “The Act builds on the Localism Act which gave a general power of competence to councils and allow councils to pray; the power of competence did not apply to small parish councils.

“The Act also makes clear that councils can support any religious event or event with a religious element - such as commemoration services.”

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles added: “Building on what we have already delivered through the Localism Act, this further Act strikes a further victory for localism, for freedom to worship over intolerant and aggressive secularism, for long-standing British liberties over modern-day political correctness, and for parliamentary sovereignty over judicial activism.”

The legislation was taken through Parliament by Jake Berry MP and Lord Cormack.

Berry said: “Councils should have every right to hold their traditional prayers sessions if they choose to. No one is forced to take part but everyone who wants to should have that freedom and this should never have been a matter for the courts.

“I’m really pleased that we have now made the law crystal clear and that councillors, including those in parish councils, can now conduct their prayers free from the threat of legal challenge.”

In February 2012 the Communities Secretary fast-tracked the general power of competence in the Localism Act 2011. The move was response to a High Court ruling that s. 111 of the Local Government Act did not give Bideford Town Council the power to hold prayers as part of formal business.