Deferring to religious courts

Apparently, "[t]he city of New York last week withdrew its lawsuit against a fervently Orthodox mohel suspected of transmitting herpes to three baby boys — one of whom died — and after nearly a year of investigation turned the matter over to a chasidic rabbinical court in Williamsburg, Brooklyn."  Professor Friedman notes that "[t]his appears to be the first time that New York City has turned a public health matter over to a religious court."

I'm reminded of my own earlier post, about the debate in Canada over allowing religious tribunals to decide some questions of family law.

Rick