What is ORFECT?

ORFECT (Observatory on Religious Freedom in the Jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights) is an interdepartmental research center and international scholarly network, hosted by the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and involving over 40 researchers from its Departments of Law, Education, and Cultural Studies. While originally focused on monitoring ECtHR jurisprudence on freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), ORFECT has progressively evolved into a broader platform for interdisciplinary inquiry into intercultural law and the legal significance of religious facts in contemporary societies. Its research explores the complex entanglements between law, culture, and religion—investigating how plural symbolic systems interact within democratic legal frameworks and how courts mediate between competing claims rooted in divergent worldviews. Beyond doctrinal analysis, ORFECT promotes theoretical and empirical studies on intercultural legal translation, religious diversity management, and the juridical challenges posed by normatively dense practices such as rituals, sacred speech, or embodied belief. Through conferences, training programs, and public engagement, ORFECT fosters a legal culture attentive to non-discrimination, pluralism, and the equal dignity of all forms of life interpretation.

LAW AND RELIGION @ UNIMORE

PROF. VINCENZO PACILLO

Vincenzo Pacillo is a Full Professor of Law and Religion at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy. He earned his law degree from the University of Milan, Italy, in 1995 and a PhD in Ecclesiastical and Canon Law from the University of Perugia, Italy, in 2000. He has held teaching and research positions at the University of Bern, the Faculty of Theology of Lugano, both in Switzerland, the University of Leicester, De Montfort University, both in the UK, and Istanbul University, Türkiye. Pacillo founded and directs ORFECT (Observatory on Religious Freedom in the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights), an interdepartmental research center on religious freedom in European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence. He has organized numerous conferences on ecclesiastical law and human rights. He is part of the Gratianus program at the University of Paris-Saclay, France, and of the PhD in Humanities faculty at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. He also serves on various editorial and academic committees.

https://pacillo.academia.edu/

vincenzo.pacillo@unimore.it

CLUSTERS OF RESEARCH

 

 

 

 

 

 

STAFF

Dr. Basira Hussen, PhD student.
basira.hussen@unimore.it
Graduated in Law from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, she completed her studies in the academic year 2021-2022 with a thesis titled “Religion and Democracy in the Iraqi Republic.” In June 2024, she completed the course “Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, and Ethics”; in July of the same year (academic year 2022-2023), she obtained a Master’s in Intercultural Mediation from Niccolò Cusano University of Rome, with a thesis titled “Identity, Autonomy, and Sovereignty: The Case of Iraqi Kurdistan and the Principle of Self-Determination of Peoples.” She has participated in national and international conferences, including as a speaker. In 2024, she was a research assistant at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Department of Linguistic and Cultural Studies). Since 2018, she has been a cultural-linguistic mediator for the Municipality of Modena. She is a recipient of the PhD scholarship in Reggio Childhood Studies, XL cycle, and is the author of several scientific publications in ANVUR-accredited journals.

Publications

Dr. Giulia Kakavas, PhD student.
giulia.kakavas@unimore.it
Graduated in Law from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE), where she defended a thesis in Ecclesiastical Law under the supervision of Professor Vincenzo Pacillo, titled “The Relations Between State and Religious Denominations in Greece: The Case of Mount Athos.” Currently, she is a PhD candidate in the National Doctorate in Religious Studies (DREST), XXXVIII cycle, conducting research on religious minorities in Greece, and serves as a student representative. She is also a subject expert in Law and Religion, History and Systems of State-Church Relations, and Law and Religion.

Dr. Alessandra Viani, PhD student.
alessandra.viani@unimore.it
Graduated in Law with honors from the Sapienza University of Rome, she obtained a diploma from the School of Specialization for Legal Professions at the same Faculty. Since 2019, she has held the title of subject expert in Ecclesiastical Law, Intercultural Law, and Law and Religion (Prof. Franceschi) at the Faculty of Law, Sapienza University of Rome. As of 2024, she is a subject expert in Law and Religion and Digital Communication and Human Rights (Prof. Vincenzo Pacillo) at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. She has participated in national and international conferences, also as a speaker, and is the author of essays published in scientific journals, including top-tier journals, as well as educational publications. Since 2018, she has been a teacher of Law and Economics at the secondary school level. She is the recipient of a PhD scholarship in Public Law (Law and Economics curriculum), XXXIX cycle.

Publications