ABSTRACT

This chapter will examine how the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has dealt with cases involving minority faiths and will address controversies that have arisen concerning its pattern of jurisprudence in this important area. Cases from two societies within the Council of Europe – France and Russia – will be examined to assist in understanding the ECtHR’s developing pattern of jurisprudence. A brief explanation of how the ECtHR is organized and changes in how it processes cases will also be presented.