Europeans interested in religion-state issues may wish to take note of an opinion delivered by the United States Supreme Court on 12 January 2012. The decision in Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has been termed the most significant U.S. religious freedom case in half a century. In a unanimous opinion, the Court held that employment discrimination suits against leaders and teachers of religious organizations impermissibly interfere with the internal governance of religious organizations and thus violate the U.S. Constitution's Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses. "The interest of society in the enforcement of employment discrimination statutes is undoubtedly important. But so too is the interest of religious groups in choosing who will preach their beliefs, teach their faith, and carry out their mission. When a minister who has been fired sues her church alleging that her termination was discriminatory, the First Amendment has struck the balance for us. The church must be free to choose those who will guide it on its way."
The International Center for Law and Religion Studies at Brigham Young University filed an amicus brief supporting the Petitioner, and ultimately the approach adopted by the Supreme Court. This brief looked carefully at countries in Europe ane elsewhere for analysis of how religious autonomy is recognized and protected in these nations.