The Italian Supreme Court of Cassation, the country’s highest court of appeal, upheld the sacking of a judge who refused to hear cases because there are crucifixes in Italian courtrooms, reports LifeSiteNews.com. Judge Luigi Tosti had appealed to the Cassation Court after he was dismissed by the Supreme Council of Magistrates (CSM) last year for refusing to perform his judicial duties at the courthouse in the town of Camerino from May 2005 to January 2006, in protest over the presence of the cross displayed in the courtroom. Tosti, who is Jewish, argued that the presence of crosses in Italian courtrooms was a threat to religious liberty, and that defendants have the constitutional right to be tried in secular courtrooms. In its ruling on March 14, the Cassation Court said the CSM was wholly “correct” in its dismissal of Tosti and rejected the argument that the presence of crosses was a threat to freedom of religion. The court also reiterated that under existing law the only religious symbol to be displayed in courtrooms was the cross. Even before the ruling was released, Tosti had indicated he would take his case to the European Court of Human Rights. To read the full story, click here.
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