From June Maxwell.
YES, Magistrate Richard Falle is right (JEP editorial, 4 September); the dignity of the court should always be upheld and contempt should be chastised. But it’s unclear in this case whether he was upholding the law or merely a tradition.

Whichever it is, in the 21st century, what on earth is the place of prayers (to one particular denominational god) in a courtroom?

Courts of law are built on proving cases through the weight of evidence. Prayers on the other hand are built on the opposite of evidence – faith.

There’s no doubt that religion can have a central role in the lives of some persons, but does that mean that this commitment is then extended through the courts to every other person in the land without their consent?
Are courts not places where everyone is meant to be treated equally?

If so, asking those who reject worshipping gods but who otherwise live moral and decent lives to pay homage to a particular god under threat of incarceration would seem not only be inequitable, but oppressive and downright disrespectful.

If this practice is law in Jersey, it should be repealed. If it’s a tradition, it is long past its sell-by date and needs to cease forthwith.
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