Colombia’s Constitutional Court Wednesday decided that churches have to keep noise down.
A 62-year-old woman from Puente Aranda sued the local church for disturbing her right to privacy and tranquility by ringing the bells at an excessive volume, El Tiempo reported.
The Court found that the church bells exceeded 80 decibels. It ruled that the noise must be under 45 decibels between 9:01 pm and 7 am and must not exceed 65 decibels between 7:01 am and 9 pm.
The Court stressed that such a decision should not be interpreted as limiting the autonomy of religion but that health must come first.