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United Kingdom

UK Supreme Court: Northern Ireland school RE and collective worship breach A2P1/Article 9; withdrawal right insufficient; biased teaching equals indoctrination; children's and parents' rights distinct.

Published on: 20 November 2025

Published by a LexisNexis Local Government expert
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Article summary

Background

The appeal concerns whether the provision within a school in Northern Ireland of religious education and collective worship is in breach of Article 2 of Protocol 1 (A2P1) to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), read together with Article 9 ECHR, as given effect domestically by the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA 1998). Article 9 ECHR protects everyone’s freedom of thought, conscience and religion. A2P1 states: ‘No person shall be denied the right to education. In the exercise of any functions which it assumes in relation to education and to teaching, the State shall respect the right of parents to ensure such education and teaching is in conformity with their own religious and philosophical convictions.’ The child, JR87, attended a grant-aided controlled primary school in Belfast. As part of the school’s programme, JR87 took part in non-denominational Christian religious education and collective worship. JR87’s parents did not want her to be taught that Christianity was to be regarded as an absolute truth...

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