Wednesday, July 07, 2004

CBC News:Condo owners win Supreme Court case over religious structures
The only problem is that this is the Supreme Court of Canada.

OTTAWA - A group of Jewish condo owners in Montreal have won a ruling from the Supreme Court of Canada allowing them to put up temporary, religious structures on their balconies. The case goes back four years, when four Orthodox Jews were told by their condominium association they weren't allowed to put up Sukkot huts, also known as sukkahs, on their balconies. Condo rules had prohibited any construction on balconies or patios.
But in a 5-4 decision, the court ruled that religious freedoms take precedence over co-ownership contracts. It said the association's arguments about aesthetics and safety were questionable and that the Jews' religious rights should be upheld.