A judicial review of the Scottish government’s ban on public worship will be heard at a hearing scheduled for 11th-12th March 2021.

A Glasgow priest has joined with various independent protestant churches to challenge the ban.

In a new video statement, Canon Tom White said “it’s very, very important that we keep each other safe, and that we keep our local communities safe; but as Christians, we acknowledge that we not only have physical needs, but spiritual needs. We need to make sure that we’re not neglecting our spiritual needs. This is really, truly essential for the wider holistic health of ourselves as a society”.

The Glasgow priest has joined with legal experts from ADF UK to launch the “Let Us Worship” campaign, which is gathering signatures of support from the public.

“Freedom of religion is a foundational human right. This right should be limited only to the extent that is necessary and proportionate. The government’s own medical advisors conceded in November that there is no robust medical evidence for the closure of churches, which have remained open in most European countries throughout 2021. There is no clear reason why the Scottish government could not find solutions which protect both the vulnerable and those who understand their communal worship to be as essential as food and water,” said Ryan Christopher, Director of ADF UK.