Publication:

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on fundamental right of religious freedom in Spain

Article 116 of the Spanish Constitution, establishes that an Organic Act shall make provision for the states of alarm, emergency and siege (martial law), and the powers and restrictions attached to each of them.1 This constitutional provision is developed by the Organic Act 4/1981, of 1 June 1981, of the states of alarm, emergency and siege,2 of which Article 4 empowers the Government to declare the state of alarm, in all or in part, of the national territory when health crises occur, such as epidemics. Under these premises, the COVID-19 pandemic is a clear case in which the state of alarm may be declared. Unlike what happens in the case of the declaration of the states of emergency and siege, in which, according to Article 55 of the Constitution it is possible to suspend some fundamental rights, this is not feasible during the state of alarm. In fact, regarding the particular fundamental right of religious freedom, it cannot be suspended in any of these three scenarios of constitutional exceptionality. But some fundamental rights may be limited. This doctrine has been affirmed by the Spanish Constitutional Court in the Sentence 83/2016, of 28 April 2016,3 the court order 40/2020, of 30 April 2020,4 and more recently by the Sentence 148/2021, of 14 July 20215 and the Sentence of 27 October 2021.