A General Right to Conscientious Exemption

Reviews / Votes

'At a time when the highest courts in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States are all wrestling with the difficult contours of conscience rights, this book provides an invaluable panoramic view of the doctrinal landscape in each jurisdiction, along with a bold and incisive normative claim about the importance of extending exemption rights beyond religion in the modern liberal state.' Jim Oleske, Professor, Lewis and Clark Law School, Oregon 'In his important new book Adenitire shows that liberal democracies such as the UK, the US, and Canada have recognized a general but limited right of conscientious objection. He makes a strong case that this right to be exempted from ordinary law stems from the state's duty of neutral pluralism and is an essential characteristic of any liberal democratic society.' Richard Moon, Distinguished University Professor and Professor of Law, University of Windsor, Ontario 'Dr Adenitire's path-breaking and thought-provoking book provides the most methodologically rigorous defence of normative and interpretative claims to a qualified right to exemption from any legal obligation on conscientious grounds, not limited to religious matters, under the laws of liberal societies, including the current law of the USA, Canada, the ECHR and the UK. Its challenge to received opinion should be read by policy-makers, lawyers and political theorists.' David Feldman, Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of English Law, Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge, and Emeritus Fellow, Downing College, Cambridge