Comparative studies of religious freedom take many forms: thematic, denominational or territorial. The vast land mass of the continent of Africa is a relative newcomer to global discussions which are becoming increasingly common, such that it is easy to underestimate the rich variety of experience and scholarship which it brings. The African Consortium for Law and Religion Studies is a young institution – and as a sign of its youth, it brings a breathless enthusiasm for its work. Its inaugural conference in Accra in 2013 successfully brought together a core group of scholars, judges and ministers under the leadership of Professor Kofi Quashigah, Dean of the Law School at the University of Ghana. This was followed in 2014 by a larger conference at the University of Stellenbosch, which was organised by Professor Pieter Coertzen, together with Len Hansen. That meeting saw the formal establishment of the African Consortium, with Professor Coertzen elected with acclamation as its president.

The meeting in May 2015 at the University of Namibia under the chairmanship of Professor Nico Horn marked the coming of age of the Consortium, with an established secretariat and a proven track record of publication. The Accra proceedings appeared in a designated volume of the African Human Rights Law Journal, guest-edited by Professor M Christian Green; those from Stellenbosch appeared hot off the press in Windhoek in an attractively presented book co-edited by Professors Green and Coertzen. The message was loud and clear that the African Consortium was here to stay, and thanks is due in large measure to the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at Brigham Young University and to the dedication of a steering committee on which I am pleased to serve, together with other experts in the field – notably Professor Cole Durham and Professor Rosalind Hackett.

The conference theme, ‘Religious Freedom and Religious Pluralism in Africa: Prospects and Limitations’, was expansively interpreted and a range of fascinating papers, delivered in both plenary and parallel sessions, provoked discussion and engagement at a high level. A panel of leaders of faith communities opened the conference with reflections on how the state makes provision for religious freedom. Later sessions addressed prophecy, marriage and children, education, conflict resolution, politics, development and a myriad other subjects. African customary law was considered, as was the post-colonial legacy of Magna Carta and the pervasive influence of its principles within the globalised human rights culture.

The focus of the African Consortium for Law and Religion now moves to Ethiopia and to next year's conference, which will take place at Addis Ababa University, hosted by Professor Getachew Assefa, Dean of its College of Law and Governance Studies.