Limitations on Freedom of Religion: Assessing the Reach of Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights

Abstract

It is a privilege to have been invited to contribute to a festschrift to mark the 70th birthday of Professor Gerhard Robbers, whose lifetime of scholarship at the interface of law and religion is unrivalled. Anniversaries are to be celebrated. They allow a few moments to step back from the immediate, and to reflect on the years which have passed, as well as the indulgence of contemplating what lies ahead. Gerhard’s birthday, of course, is not the only anniversary worthy of marking in this chapter. In December 2018, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights1 also celebrated its seventieth birthday;2 whilst May of that year signified twenty-five years since Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights (the Convention)3 was first considered judicially by the supra-national Strasbourg court charged with interpreting and enforcing its provisions. It is to this pan-national instrument that we turn to commence our reflection. I.