Some interesting law and religion news stories from around the web this week:
- After commissioning a study of the current state of Church law and practice concerning marriage, Pope Francis reformed the law governing annulments.
- CLR discusses the implications for the study of canon law here.
- A 21-year-old New Jersey man pleaded guilty in federal court to planning to travel abroad with other men from New York and New Jersey to join the Islamic State.
- Office Depot is accused of discriminating against a customer’s faith after employees told her running copies of an anti-abortion prayer violated company policy because it “contained material that advocates the persecution of people who support abortion rights.”
- The Satanic Temple formally asked the Arkansas Capitol Arts and Grounds Commission for permission to place its “Baphomet” monument on the Capitol grounds next to an authorized Ten Commandments monument.
- The California Assembly approved a bill to legalize physician-assisted suicide that is expected to pass the Senate as well.
- Two companies that distribute and certify Halal food products pleaded guilty to conspiring to export misbranded beef products.
- Local authorities in two villages in a central Lao province are accused of detaining local Christians and threatening to put them in jail unless they signed a document recanting their beliefs.
- Animal activists filed a suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court seeking to stop public Kapparot ceremonies, an ancient Jewish custom that includes the slaughter of a chicken.
- After two years of negotiations, Israel’s Christian schools are entering the second week of a strike to protest ongoing cuts in government funding that they attribute to discrimination against minority religious groups.
- The House Judiciary Committee began the first in a series of Congressional hearings about controversial Planned Parenthood practices.