photo ID
Amish Avoid Graven Images
An Amish couple has settled a lawsuit against the U.S. federal government with guarantees that their freedom from being photographed will not be abrogated. The Indianapolis Star published an account of the historic agreement on May 29. Since Old Order Amish religious beliefs prohibit self-promotion, they were listed in the lawsuit only as “John and […]
Alberta Hutterites Solve Photo ID Problem
Drivers in a couple Hutterite colonies in Alberta may start driving illegally. Last July, the two colonies lost their appeal to the Canadian Supreme Court to be exempt from the provincial requirement that photos were required for their driver’s licenses. They believe that the requirement violates their religious freedom, and they feel strongly that they […]
Hutterites Suffer Final Defeat in Photo ID Issue
The Supreme Court of Canada has denied a request for a re-hearing by a couple Hutterite colonies, which had requested permission, for religious reasons, to not have their photos on their driver’s licenses. The court did not give any reasons for denying the petition from the Alberta colonies, but it rarely grants requests for re-hearings. […]
Hutterites to Appeal Photo License Decision
Although the Supreme Court of Canada, in July, denied that a couple Hutterite colonies have the right to provincial drivers’ licenses without photos on them, the Hutterites have appealed for a rehearing. Led by the Wilson Colony near Lethbridge, Alberta, the two colonies decided to contest a 2003 ruling by the province that all drivers’ […]
Hutterites Lose Supreme Court Case
On Friday, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that Hutterites living in the Wilson Colony, located near Lethbridge, Alberta, must have their photos taken if they want provincial driver’s licenses. By a vote of four to three, the justices rejected the colony’s claim that their right to freedom of religion was violated by the Alberta […]
Hutterite Case Goes to Canada’s Supreme Court
Throughout October, Canadians have been responding to the freedom of religious expression issues raised by the Wilson Colony of Hutterites in southern Alberta. The Wilson Colony believes that a 2003 change in provincial law, which requires all driver’s licenses to include valid photos, violates their understanding of the Second Commandment forbidding graven images. Since their […]
Canadian Supreme Court will Hear Hutterite Case
The contentious issue of freedom of religion for Hutterite colonies in Alberta was back in the news last weekend because the Canadian Supreme Court has decided to hear their case. In 2003, the Province of Alberta decided to abolish its long-standing policy that had permitted religious exemptions to its requirement that every driver’s license must […]
Hutterites Win Court Appeal Regarding Photo IDs
The Wilson Hutterite Colony, near Lethbridge, Alberta, won a court case which requests that they not be required to have their photos on their provincial drivers licenses. Previous to 2003, the province had allowed the registrar of driver’s licensing to use discretion in allowing exemptions from the photo requirement because of religious reasons. The province […]
Hutterites Win Right to Avoid License Photos
An Alberta judge has ruled that motor vehicle drivers from the Wilson Hutterite colony near Coaldale may not be required by the province to have photos on their driver’s licenses. His decision modifies a 2003 provincial ruling that licenses for all Alberta drivers must be photo IDs. The Wilson Colony license applicants may now apply […]
Hutterites Oppose Photos on Driver’s Licenses
The CBC is reporting that some Hutterites in southern Alberta are challenging a new provincial law that all driver’s licenses must have photos. According to the Wilson Colony—near Coaldale, east of Lethbridge—the law violates their freedom of religion. They believe that the Second Commandment, which forbids making graven images, should be understood quite literally. Before […]
