European Centre for Law and Justice
The ECLJ is a Christian legal advocacy organisation that presents legal analysis to various international institutions on important cases relating to SRHR and religious freedom issues.
The ECLJ also represents clients at the ECHR, and was the legal representative for the One of Us European Citizen’s Initiative. The type of legal cases in which the ECLJ is active include conscientious objection, religious freedoms, and SRHR issues.
The ECLJ is the European arm of the American Center for Law and Justice founded by the American televangelist Pat Robertson (known for its theories that Jews are plotting with freemasons to rule the world or for comparing feminists with witches), an organisation famous for its strong anti-choice and anti-LGBT rights stances (they supported anti-homosexuality laws in Africa). The ECLJ is active at the ECHR, EU, UN, Council of Europe and OSCE.
Its conservative agenda is combined to a very vocal defense of freedom of speech, ranging to a strong criticism of blasphemy laws (Austria, Pakistan) to…the defense of obstruction to abortion. (1) It has also waved « freedom of conscience » in defense of discrimination against LGBTI people. (2)
Persons involved:
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Gregor Puppinck: Director.
He writes for the C-FAM blog Turtle Bay and beyond and represented the One of Us initiative. He stated “indeed, in reality, abortion is torture and causes maternal mortality. Abortion, whether legal or not, not only kills a human being but also carries serious physical and psychological health risks and contributes to maternal mortality.” (3)
No EU registration.
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Jay Sekulow: co-founder with Thomas Patrick Monaghan.
Jay Sekulow is the Chief Counsel of the European Center for Law and Justice. He is also Chief Counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice and part of Donald Trump’s legal team. He is an anti-choice republican and is in favor of blasphemy laws in the US (4)
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Links with other organisations: The ECLJ is the international affiliate of the ACLJ. The organisation is also a member of the Federation One of Us. Besides, the ECLJ is member of Sallux, the think thank of the European Christian Political Movement.
Key statement: “The refusal of the Commissioner for Human Rights and the incapacity of the Committee of Ministers to affirm that all newborns have the right to life and to medical care is shocking; it demonstrates a tacit consent to infanticide and to inhuman treatments.” (5)
Legal existence: Registered as an association of the Tribunal D’Instance in Strasbourg. The ECLJ also has Special Consultative Status before the United Nations/ECOSOC.
Financing: Funded by the ACLJ. Revenue: $ 1,165,836 (2016) (6)
EU Accreditation: No.
Location: Strasbourg.
Contact: 4 quai Koch, 67000 Strasbourg – [email protected]
References:
(2) https://eclj.org/conscientious-objection/echr
(3) http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/un-told-that-abortion-is-torture
(4) http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/aclj-blasphemy-laws-for-me-but-not-for-thee/
(5) https://c-fam.org/turtle_bay/council-europe-refuses-oppose-neonatal-infanticides/