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Main acts regarding the religious communities

The most important act on religious communities is the Act on Religious Communities (lagen om trossamfund, 1998:1593). Important acts regarding the Church of Sweden are Church of Sweden Act (...)

The most important act on religious communities is the Act on Religious Communities (lagen om trossamfund, 1998:1593). Important acts regarding the Church of Sweden are Church of Sweden Act (lagen om Svenska kyrkan, 1998:1591) and Act on Inaugurating the Church of Sweden (lagen om införande av lagen om Svenska kyrkan, 1998:1592). State subsidies to the churches and religious communities are dealt with in the Act on Subsidies to Religious Communities (lagen om stöd till trossamfund, 1999:932) and the Ordinance on Grants to Religious Communities (förordningen om statsbidrag till trossamfund, 1999:974). There is also an Act on Collecting Church Levies from Members of Registered Religious Communities (lagen om avgift till registrerat trossamfund, 1999:728). In The Act on Right to Officiate Marriages within Faith Communities 1993:305) provisions in this matter are given. The Funeral Act (begravningslagen, 1990:1144) delegates the main responsibility of the administration of public burial plots to the Church of Sweden. The Act further states that special burial areas should be provided to people either without Christian faith or of other faith, Act on the Cultural environment (Kulturmiljölagen 1988:950).

According to the tradition of Swedish legislation there are – behind every act – several preparatory documents that could be of importance when the act is interpreted. These could be reports from commissions of inquiry, government bills, reports from parliamentary committees etc.

Updated by Per Pettersson

D 15 February 2016    ALars Friedner

Main acts on religious freedom

In 1951, Sweden issued a law guaranteeing freedom of religion by The Act on Religious Freedom (SFS 1951:680). In the Swedish constitution, The Instrument of Government Act (SFS 1974:152) it is (...)

In 1951, Sweden issued a law guaranteeing freedom of religion by The Act on Religious Freedom (SFS 1951:680). In the Swedish constitution, The Instrument of Government Act (SFS 1974:152) it is formulated as the “freedom to practice religion, alone or together with other people”. There is also a special Personal Information Act (SFS 1998:204) that prohibits the registration of religious or philosophical conviction as well as race, ethnicity, or political views.

D 8 March 2016    APer Pettersson

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