THERE are views now being promoted that any prescriptive regulation or employment requirement for vaccination status on individuals militates against the liberty of a person to choose not to be vaccinated. Article 11(5), however, expressly lays down a qualification that “This Article does not authorise any act contrary to any general law to public order, public health or morality”. The freedom of religion protection offers a good test case on issues surrounding anti-vaxxer rhetoric that mandatory vaccination is contrary to the value of fundamental liberty. Certain religious groups that reject scientific- and clinical- based evidence also reject vaccination on the erroneous grounds that it manipulates the human genome and therefore constitutes “playing God”. Does a religious believer who holds such views – ie that gatherings cannot be proscribed nor vaccination be enjoined by law – be permitted to invoke Article 11?

Source: The Star September 13, 2021 00:33 UTC