When considering the treatment of the religious community of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Moscow, the European Court of Human Rights said: ‘The Court further reiterates that the state’s duty of neutrality and impartiality prohibits it from assessing the legitimacy of religious beliefs or the ways in which those beliefs are expressed or manifested. Accordingly, the state has a narrow margin of appreciation and must advance serious and compelling reasons for an interference with the choices that people may make in pursuance of the religious standard of behaviour within the sphere of their personal autonomy. An interference may be justified in light of para.2 of art.9 if their choices are incompatible with the key principles underlying the Convention., such as, for example, polygamous or underage marriage or a flagrant breach of gender equality, or if they are imposed on the believers by force or coercion, against their will.’
Citations:
302/02, [2010] ECHR 887, (2011) 53 EHRR
Links:
Statutes:
European Convention on Human Rights
Jurisdiction:
Human Rights
Human Rights
Updated: 27 October 2022; Ref: scu.418542
