Subscribe to our social channels to get the latest news about Hungary!
Here are the new church law amendments
Change language:
Budapest, September 29 (MTI) – In future churches should be registered by courts based on legal provisions, according to a consultation paper on the church law published online on kormany.hu.
The law in effect since January 1, 2012 originally recognised only 14 congregations as established churches but allowed other faiths to apply to parliament for recognition, dependent on the vote of a two-thirds majority.
One aim of the consultation paper is to ensure that the adoption of a community’s religious status should not disadvantage it, kormany.hu said.
The amendments to the law would also allow churches the opportunity to appeal against court rulings, the paper added.
Church status will be restored to communities carrying out religious activities that lost it under the law in effect since 2012.
The relevant parts of the law governing church status were rejected by the Constitutional Court earlier this year. The ruling was based on an earlier decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) relating to the church law.
In October 2013, the Budapest Autonomous Congregation requested official recognition as a church. This was denied on the ground that the association had not verified that it complied with the requirements set out in the law.
Earlier the association had turned to the ECtHR, which last April ruled that the Hungarian church law did not comply with the convention.