Source: http://www.churchlawandtax.com/library/legal-issues-for-pastors/chapter-3-authority-rights-and-privileges/clergy-penitent-privilege-miscellaneous-issues/constitutionality-of-privilege/
Timestamp: 2018-02-18 10:49:12
Document Index: 276864308

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 3', 'art 1', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 4', 'art 5']

Constitutionality of the Privilege | Church Law & Tax
Volume 1 . Chapter 3 . § 3-08.7
Key point 3-08.07. The clergy-penitent privilege is not required by the First amendment guaranty of religious freedom.
Often, a communication made to a minister will fail one or more of the requirements for a valid privilege, yet the minister or the person making the communication will argue that the First amendment's guaranty of religiousfreedom prohibits compelled disclosure of the communication. To illustrate,in one case a Catholic nun who was not eligible for the privilege argued that the First amendment protected her from being compelled to testify regarding communications made to her by a murder suspect. The court, in rejecting thenun's claim, observed that "this case calls for a balancing of interests—that of the state in enforcing ...
Skip to: Chapter 3: Authority, Rights and PrivilegesChapter 1: Definitions and StatusChapter 2: The Pastor-Church RelationshipChapter 4: Liabilities, Limitations and RestrictionsChapter 5: DefinitionsChapter 6: Organization and AdministrationChapter 7: Church PropertyChapter 8Chapter 8, Part 1: Selection of EmployeesChapter 8, Part 2: Compensation and BenefitsChapter 8, Part 3: Employment DiscriminationChapter 8, Part 4: TerminationChapter 8, Part 5: Miscellaneous IssuesChapter 9: Government Regulation of ChurchesChapter 10: Church Legal LiabilityChapter 11: A Summary of Constitutional HistoryChapter 12: Landmark Supreme Court Decisions Interpreting the First Amendment Religion ClausesChapter 13: The Present Meaning of the First Amendment Religion ClausesChapter 14: Significant First Amendment IssuesClergy-Parishioner RelationshipMarriage CounselingWho May Assert the PrivilegeWhen to Assert the PrivilegeWaiver of the PrivilegeThe Privilege in Federal CourtsChild Abuse ReportingConfidentialityDisclosure to Civil AuthoritiesChurch RecordsDeath of the Counselee