--- title: "Scotland: Churches to open immediately after Scottish high court ruling" date: 2021-03-25T15:59:00+00:00 author: Charlie Fox canonical_url: "https://staging.eauk.org/news-and-views/scotland-churches-to-open-immediately-after-scottish-high-court-ruling" section: Articles --- Share [ ](https://www.facebook.com/dialog/share?app_id=1769260916495219&href=https%3A%2F%2Fstaging.eauk.org%2Fnews-and-views%2Fscotland-churches-to-open-immediately-after-scottish-high-court-ruling) [ ](https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=Scotland%3A%20Churches%20to%20open%20immediately%20after%20Scottish%20high%20court%20ruling&url=https%3A%2F%2Fstaging.eauk.org%2Fnews-and-views%2Fscotland-churches-to-open-immediately-after-scottish-high-court-ruling) [ ](https://www.facebook.com/dialog/send?app_id=1769260916495219&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fstaging.eauk.org%2Fnews-and-views%2Fscotland-churches-to-open-immediately-after-scottish-high-court-ruling&link=https%3A%2F%2Fstaging.eauk.org%2Fnews-and-views%2Fscotland-churches-to-open-immediately-after-scottish-high-court-ruling&display=popup) [ ](mailto:?subject=Shared%20from%20Evangelical%20Alliance&body=https%3A%2F%2Fstaging.eauk.org%2Fnews-and-views%2Fscotland-churches-to-open-immediately-after-scottish-high-court-ruling) Copy link to this article Share this article Scotland: Churches to open immediately after Scottish high court ruling 2 min read Contents Share [ ](https://www.facebook.com/dialog/share?app_id=1769260916495219&href=https%3A%2F%2Fstaging.eauk.org%2Fnews-and-views%2Fscotland-churches-to-open-immediately-after-scottish-high-court-ruling) [ ](https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=Scotland%3A%20Churches%20to%20open%20immediately%20after%20Scottish%20high%20court%20ruling&url=https%3A%2F%2Fstaging.eauk.org%2Fnews-and-views%2Fscotland-churches-to-open-immediately-after-scottish-high-court-ruling) [ ](mailto:?subject=Shared%20from%20Evangelical%20Alliance&body=https%3A%2F%2Fstaging.eauk.org%2Fnews-and-views%2Fscotland-churches-to-open-immediately-after-scottish-high-court-ruling) Copy link to this article Share this article Back to top In this article #### The judgment came after a judicial review concluded that the COVID regulations forcing their closure were a breach of the human right to freedom of religion. The judicial review, launched by a group of 27 church leaders, argued that the Scottish Government had acted beyond the scope of their emergency powers. The ruling deemed that the Scottish Government’s regulations disproportionately interfered with the freedom of religion guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights. This ruling was issued with ‘immediate effect’, meaning that churches and other places of worship can now open. In a balanced judgment the court found that while closing places of worship for the purposes of public health was a legitimate aim and justifiable reason for interfering with human rights and the freedom of worship, the action the Government took in this instance was not a proportionate response. Unlike England, Wales and Northern Ireland, in this latest round of restrictions Scotland has taken a different approach; and while the judgment will make little difference as the restriction was due to be lifted two days after it was issued, it will set a precedent for future government action that restricts the freedom of religion or belief. #### Reopening and the new guidance [Whilst churches in Scotland were due to reopen on 26 March](https://staging.eauk.org/news-and-views/scotland-places-of-worship-to-open-and-church-travel-restrictions-to-be-lifted-from-26-march) anyway, with new guidance coming into effect on the same date, the court ruling has pushed this date forward by a couple of days. Churches across Scotland may now open in line with social distancing measures, with guidance advising a cap of 50 people. Travel to attend or lead services at your usual places of worship is also now allowed. For more information on the Scottish Government’s coronavirus rules and guidelines, please see the [Scottish guidance for places of worship](https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-phase-3-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-places-of-worship/) and our [COVID-19 church hub](https://staging.eauk.org/about-us/nations/scotland/scotland-covid-19-church-hub). *When reading the Scottish Government guidance be aware that a distinction is made between legal requirements and government advice; the distinction is marked by the words ​‘should’ (for advice) and ​‘must’ (for legal requirements). The major parts of the guidance that are legally required are social distancing and the wearing of masks. We do recommend that churches make decisions on reopening and practices based on all the relevant guidance from the Scottish Government.* Your reading Count on · turn off 0 You’ve read 0 articles in the last year. Behind what you’re reading is a movement of churches, organisations and individuals standing together. Join us and add your voice to the church being heard where it matters most. [Become a member](/membership/become-a-member/individuals/join-us) Privacy settings *›* Your article count is off. Nothing is being recorded on this device. Turn it back on ## Read next [ All news & views ](/news-and-views) - [ ![Could you be someone's Alison?](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27640%27%20height%3D%27360%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E) ![Could you be someone's Alison?](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271%27%20height%3D%271%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E) The Navigators UK Could you be someone's Alison? 26 October 2026 ](https://staging.eauk.org/news-and-views/could-you-be-someones-alison) - [ ![Where do you find belonging in a land far from home?](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27640%27%20height%3D%27360%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E) ![Where do you find belonging in a land far from home?](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271%27%20height%3D%271%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E) Chinese Overseas Christian Mission Where do you find belonging in a land far from home? 22 October 2026 ](https://staging.eauk.org/news-and-views/where-do-you-find-belonging-in-a-land-far-from-home) - [ ![Making sense of the government’s Immigration and Asylum Bill](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27640%27%20height%3D%27360%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E) ![Making sense of the government’s Immigration and Asylum Bill](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271%27%20height%3D%271%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E) Making sense of the government’s Immigration and Asylum Bill 19 October 2026 ](https://staging.eauk.org/news-and-views/making-sense-of-the-governments-immigration-and-asylum-bill)