Minority religion reactions to the European Court of Human Rights 1

Abstract

This contribution focuses specifically on reactions to the European Court of Human Rights’ (ECtHR) engagements with religion-related issues amongst ‘religious minorities’. Here, ‘religious minorities’ is taken to mean minorities from the perspective of religion in general and thus includes other conscience-based groups such as secularists, humanists and atheists. Drawing on research focused on the grassroots level impact of ECtHR religion-related case law, the chapter brings into sharp relief the contrast between the Court’s important record defending religious minority rights, on the one hand, and the relatively low levels of awareness of the relevant case law found amongst grassroots level conscience-based minorities, on the other. The chapter offers a nuanced perspective on factors influencing levels of awareness of ECtHR case law and raises critical questions regarding the implications of such awareness, or lack thereof, for religious pluralism in Europe.