Cert. Petition Seeks Contraceptive Mandate Accommodation Review By Supreme Court Before Circuit Court Decides Appeal

Last week, the Catholic non-profit pro-life organization Priests for Life filed a petition for certiorari (full text) with the U.S. Supreme Court in Priests for Life v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, (filed 1/23/2014).  The petition asks for high court review even though the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has not yet ruled in a pending appeal.  In the case, a federal district court held that no substantial burden was placed on the group's free exercise by requiring it to complete the self-certification form to opt into the Affordable Care Act contraceptive coverage accommodation for religious non-profits. (See prior posting.) AFLC issued a press release announcing the filing of the petition.