The U.S. Supreme Court delivered an important victory for religious freedom last week in the case of Olivier v. City of Brandon, but how it does so is notable. Writing for ReligionUnplugged, RFI’s Ismail Royer explains that Olivier “seems like a quintessential religious freedom case [in that it involves] a Christian preacher charged with violating a city ordinance for sharing his faith in a public park. But outrageous as it may have been, the preacher’s arrest was not actually at the heart of this case.”

Royer continues, “whether the City of Brandon had violated the Constitution by arresting [Gabriel Olivier] for preaching was not the issue: The question was which statute Olivier could use to challenge it.”

“On one level,” Royer concludes, “the Supreme Court ruling helps Olivier because now he can go back to the district court to challenge the constitutionality of the ordinance he was punished for violating. But on another level, the Court’s ruling in his case goes far beyond Olivier’s challenge to a city ordinance. It clears the way for those convicted under unconstitutional laws to challenge the future application of those laws.” The free exercise of religion in America is strengthened as a result.

Read the full article: “SCOTUS Delivers Major Win for a Christian Preacher and the Constitution.”