Seven Supreme Court Cases to Know

Burwell v. Hobby Lobby (2015) – 5-4 decision on healthcare ruled that the government cannot require faith-based organizations to provide contraception against their owners’ religious beliefs.

Town of Greece v. Galloway (2014) — 5-4 decision finding that no First Amendment or Establishment Clause violation occurred when sectarian prayer was offered in town board meetings in Greece, N.Y.

McCullen v. Coakley (2014)— Unanimous decision striking down the Massachusetts law that established a 35-foot buffer zone around abortion clinics, targeted at restricting the speech of one viewpoint (e.g., a viewpoint opposing the clinic/abortion).

Christian Legal Society v. Martinez (2010) — 5-4 decision effectively stating that distinctions based on homosexual conduct are equivalent to discrimination against gays and lesbians. The Court ruled against a chapter of the Christian Legal Society whose requirements bar non-Christians and non-celibate gays and lesbians.

Lee v. Weisman (1992) —5-4 decision that school prayer (in this case, a nonsectarian prayer by a rabbi at a graduation) violates separation of church and state because it essentially compels students to participate in a religious exercise.

Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992) – Plurality decision reaffirmed Roe v. Wade’s assertion of the legality of abortion, basing their reasoning on a woman’s right to choose to abort prior to fetal viability.

Employment Division v. Smith (1990) — 6-3 decision that the State may enact “neutral law[s] of general applicability” which are not required to make exceptions to enforcement for persons on account of their religious beliefs (e.g., religious ingestion of peyote, a powerful hallucinogen).

Around Canada

2014 —The Supreme Court of Canada reserved decision regarding the case of Alain Simoneau, a citizen of Saguenay (Quebec) who challenged his municipal government’s practice of opening public meetings with Christian/Catholic prayer.

2014 —The British Columbia government and the Law Society of British Columbia revoked support for Trinity Western University’s proposed School of Law. The university’s policy prohibits sex outside of heterosexual marriage.

2010 —The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council found that various episodes of Word TV, by airing abusive or unduly discriminatory comments about persons on the basis of sexual orientation, breached the provisions of the Human Rights Clauses of two ethics codes.

Around America

2014 — The city of Salem, Mass., canceled a small rental contract with Gordon College after Michael Lindsay, president of Gordon, wrote a letter to President Obama requesting an exemption to Mr. Obama’s planned executive order barring discrimination based on sexual identity or orientation.

2014 —Elane Photography v. Willock, Ingersoll v. Arlene’s Flowers, Craig v. Masterpiece Cakeshop, and Baker v. Hands On Originals: In these cases, a photographer, a florist, a cake artist, and a T-shirt printer, respectively, were sued for refusing to offer their services for a same-sex marriage (first three cases) or gay pride festival (last case).

2014 — Christian Service Center, a Florida ministry directed by Kay Daly, was allegedly told it could no longer have religious information or decoration where USDA food, used for a food ministry, was being distributed.