In exercising his freedom to manifest his beliefs an individual ‘may need to take his specific situation into account.’ ‘The Commission recalls that the expression ‘in accordance with the law’, within the meaning of Article 9(2), requires first that the impugned measure should have some basis in domestic law; it also refers to the quality … Continue reading Kalac v Turkey: ECHR 1 Jul 1997
The claimant alleged that the methods chosen for the nationalisation of Northern Rock plc infringed its human rights in providing unfair compensation. Held: The claim was dismissed. The provision made by the 2008 Act did not infringe the claimants’ human rights to peaceful enjoyment of their possessions. The assumptions underlying the compensation scheme provided in … Continue reading SRM Global Master Fund Lp and Others, Regina (on the Applications of) v The Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Treasury: Admn 13 Feb 2009
In adoption proceedings, ML refused her consent to the proposed adoption. She argued that the provision in the 1997 Act (allowing a court to dispense with her consent) was beynd the competence of the Scottish Parliament, and infringed her right to family life. Judges: Lord President, Lady Paton, Lord Kingarth Citations: [2011] ScotCS CSIH – … Continue reading ANS and Another v ML: SCS 21 Jun 2011
The claimant alleged that she had been discrimated against in her work for the appellant, a member of the diplomatic staff at the Saudi Embassy in London. She now appealed against a decision that the respondent had diplomatic immunity. Held: The appeal was allowed: ‘the question whether the exception in article 31(1)(c) would have applied … Continue reading Reyes v Al-Malki and Another: SC 18 Oct 2017
The police had arrested three peaceful but vociferous preachers when some members of a crowd gathered round them threatened hostility. Held: Freedom of speech means nothing unless it includes the freedom to be irritating, contentious, eccentric, heretical, unwelcome and provocative provided it did not tend to provoke violence. There was no reasonable inference available in … Continue reading Redmond-Bate v Director of Public Prosecutions: Admn 23 Jul 1999
The court referred the following questions to the ECJ: ‘(1) Does a decision made by a Member State under Article 3(2) of . . Regulation No 343/2003 whether to examine a claim for asylum which is not its responsibility under the criteria set out in Chapter III of the Regulation fall within the scope of … Continue reading NS, Regina (on The Application of) v Secretary of State for The Home Department: CA 12 Jul 2010
This appeal is concerned with a challenge to the legality of legislation of the Scottish Parliament which deprives a person, A, who is accused of sexual activity with an under-aged person, B, of the defence that he or she reasonably believed that B was over the age of 16, if the police had previously charged … Continue reading AB v Her Majesty’s Advocate: SC 5 Apr 2017
The applicant complained that, as a mental patient, he was bound to obtain permision before beginning legal proceedings. Citations: 50330/07, [2009] ECHR 806 Links: Bailii Statutes: European Convention on Human Rights, Mental Health Act 1983 139(2) Cited by: See Also – Seal v United Kingdom ECHR 7-Dec-2010 The court considered a procedural filter which prevented … Continue reading Seal v United Kingdom: ECHR 18 May 2009
(Grand Chamber) The applicant had been denied access to written examinations and to a lecture at the University of Istanbul because she was wearing an Islamic headscarf. This was prohibited not only by the rules of the university but also by the Constitution of Turkey. Held: Article 9 does not protect every act motivated or … Continue reading Leyla Sahin v Turkey: ECHR 29 Jun 2004
The claimant said that his employer had failed to respect his right to express his beliefs by obliging him, though a Christian, to work on Sundays. Held: The appeal failed. ‘The Commission’s position on Article 9, as I understand it, is that, so far as working hours are concerned, an employer is entitled to keep … Continue reading Copsey v WWB Devon Clays Ltd: CA 25 Jul 2005
The defendant claimed that he had gone absent without leave from the RAF as a conscientous objector. Held: The defendant had not demonstrated by complaint to the RAF that he did object to service in Iraq. In some circumstances where there was no procedure to make his objection known, the failure to do so might … Continue reading Khan v Royal Air Force Summary Appeal Court: Admn 7 Oct 2004
1. During the proceedings before the Community Courts internal Commission documents are not to be communicated to the applicants, unless the circumstances of the case are exceptional and the applicants make out a plausible case for the need to do so. That is the case as regards the expert accountant’s report, whose purpose, as a … Continue reading HFB and others v Commission: ECFI 20 Mar 2002
(Commision) The applicant was a devout Muslim. His religious duty was to offer prayers on Fridays and to attend a mosque if possible. He was employed as a full time primary school teacher. He complained that he was forced to resign because he was refused permission to attend a mosque for the purposes of worship … Continue reading Ahmad v United Kingdom: ECHR 1981
The appellant, liquidator of two South African companies, had made a successful without notice application for an asset freezing order. He believed that the defendants had stripped the companies of substantial assets. The order was set aside for want of jurisdiction, because it had not been ancillary to any proceedings which had even been formulated … Continue reading Fourie v Le Roux and others: HL 24 Jan 2007
Standing to Claim under A1P1 ECHR The appellants had written employers’ liability insurance policies. They appealed against rejection of their challenge to the 2009 Act which provided that asymptomatic pleural plaques, pleural thickening and asbestosis should constitute actionable harm for the purposes of an action of damages for personal injury. Held: The insurers’ appeals failed. … Continue reading AXA General Insurance Ltd and Others v Lord Advocate and Others: SC 12 Oct 2011
The claimants had acted as foster carers for several years, but challenged a potential decision to discontinue that when, as committed Christians, they refused to sign to agree to treat without differentiation any child brought to them who might be homosexual. A declaration was sought as to the legality of the proposed decision. Held: A … Continue reading Johns and Another, Regina (on The Application of) v Derby City Council and Another: Admn 28 Feb 2011
The court was asked whether, by adopting a staff dress code which forbade the wearing of visible neck adornment and so prevented the appellant, a Christian, from wearing with her uniform a small, visible cross, British Airways (BA) indirectly discriminated against her on grounds of religion or belief. Held: There was no requirement that a … Continue reading Eweida v British Airways Plc: CA 12 Feb 2010
The appellants were teachers in Christian schools who said that the blanket ban on corporal punishment interfered with their religious freedom. They saw moderate physical discipline as an essential part of educating children in a Christian manner. Held: The appeal was dismissed. For Article 9 to be engaged (aside from certain other threshold conditions) the … Continue reading Regina v Secretary of State for Education and Employment and others ex parte Williamson and others: HL 24 Feb 2005
The student, a Muslim wished to wear a full Islamic dress, the jilbab, but this was not consistent with the school’s uniform policy. She complained that this interfered with her right to express her religion. Held: The school’s appeal succeeded. The school had acted responsibly and carefully seeking to balance and respect several interests when … Continue reading Begum (otherwise SB), Regina (on the Application of) v Denbigh High School: HL 22 Mar 2006
The court considered a procedural filter which prevented the bringing of a claim relating to the exercise of powers under the 1983 Act without the leave of the court.
Held: ‘The Court notes at the outset that the Applicant pursued his . .
The court system has acknowledged that the movement toward wider and wider publication of case law (of which we form part) has potential conflicts with privacy in general, and GDPR and Human Rights in particular. There have therefore been developed much more explicit systems for applying to court for ‘anonymity orders’ – an order that … Continue reading Anonymity Orders
