Alabama § 12-21-166 Confidentiality of Communications with Clergymen

Alabama Statutes

§ 12-21-166 — Confidentiality of Communications with Clergymen

Alabama § 12-21-166

JurisdictionAlabama

Title 12Courts

Ch. 21Evidence and Witnesses

Art. 1General Provisions

Div. 2Witnesses

This text of Alabama § 12-21-166 (Confidentiality of Communications with Clergymen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Ala. Code § 12-21-166 (2026).

Text

(a)As used in this section, unless a contrary meaning is clearly intended from the context in which the term appears, the following terms have the respective meanings hereinafter set forth and indicated:

(1)CLERGYMAN. Any duly ordained, licensed or commissioned minister, pastor, priest, rabbi or practitioner of any bona fide established church or religious organization and shall include and be limited to any person who regularly, as a vocation, devotes a substantial portion of his time and abilities to the service of his respective church or religious organization.

(2)LEGAL OR QUASI-LEGAL PROCEEDINGS. Any proceeding, civil or criminal, in any court, whether a court of record, a grand jury investigation, a coroner’s inquest and any proceeding or hearing before any public officer or admin

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(a) As used in this section, unless a contrary meaning is clearly intended from the context in which the term appears, the following terms have the respective meanings hereinafter set forth and indicated:
(1) CLERGYMAN. Any duly ordained, licensed or commissioned minister, pastor, priest, rabbi or practitioner of any bona fide established church or religious organization and shall include and be limited to any person who regularly, as a vocation, devotes a substantial portion of his time and abilities to the service of his respective church or religious organization.
(2) LEGAL OR QUASI-LEGAL PROCEEDINGS. Any proceeding, civil or criminal, in any court, whether a court of record, a grand jury investigation, a coroner’s inquest and any proceeding or hearing before any public officer or administrative agency of the state or any political subdivision thereof.
(b) If any person shall communicate with a clergyman in his professional capacity and in a confidential manner (1) to make a confession, (2) to seek spiritual counsel or comfort, or (3) to enlist help or advice in connection with a marital problem, either such person or the clergyman shall have the privilege, in any legal or quasi-legal proceeding, to refuse to disclose and to prevent the other from disclosing anything said by either party during such communication.