Freedom of Conscience and Religion in Private Schools
Abstract
This study examines freedom of conscience and religion in private schools, which seems to lie outside the mainstream of discussions on the presence of religious symbols or, more broadly, religious acts in public spaces. First, the study explores the parallel historical formation of freedom of conscience/religion and the right to education. Then, the study sketches an outline of the sources of law guaranteeing these freedoms, focusing on the aspects common to European legal culture. Then, the subject and object of this freedom are discussed in the context of private schools. Selected case law is then examined to provide illustration. Finally, the study offers key general and de lege ferenda conclusions.
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Databases
Sources of law
Constitution of Holland of March 28, 1814
Constitution of Belgium of February 7, 1831
Constitution of Latvia of February 15, 1922
Constitution of Ireland of July 1, 1937
Constitution of Italy of December 27, 1947 Constitution of Germany of May 23, 1949
Constitution of Cyprus of August 16, 1960
Constitution of Malta of September 21, 1964
Constitution of Greece of June 9, 1975
Constitution of Portugal of April 2, 1976
Constitution of Spain of December 27, 1978
Constitution of Bulgaria of July 12, 1991
Constitution of Romania of November 21, 1991
Constitution of Estonia of June 28, 1992
Constitution of Slovakia of September 1, 1992
Constitution of Lithuania of October 25, 1992
Constitution of Slovenia of December 23, 1991
Constitution of the Republic of Poland of April 2, 1997
Constitution of Hungary of April 25, 2011
Treaty on European Union (consolidated version: EU Official Journal C 202 of June 7, 2016).
Convention on Combating Discrimination in the Field of Education, Paris, December 15, 1960.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted in New York on December 10, 1948.
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights opened for signature in New York on December 19, 1966.
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights opened for signature in New York on December 19, 1966.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted in New York on November 20, 1989.
Concordat with Poland of July 28, 1993.
Concordat with Slovenia of May 24, 2004.
Concordat with China of December 2, 2011.
Act of May 17, 1989 on Guarantees of Freedom of Conscience and Religion (consolidated text: Journal of Laws of 2017, item 1153, as amended).
Act of April 21, 1936 on the State’s relationship to the Muslim Religious Union in the Republic of Poland (Journal of Laws No. 30, item 240).
Act of May 17, 1989 on the State’s Relationship to the Catholic Church in the Republic of Poland (consolidated text: Journal of Laws of 2019, item 1347).
Act of 4 July 1991 on the State’s Relationship to the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church (consolidated text: Journal of Laws of 2014, item 1726).
Act of May 13, 1994 on the State’s Relationship to the Evangelical-Augsburg Church in the Republic of Poland (consolidated text: Journal of Laws of 2015, item 43).
Act of June 30, 1995 on the Relationship of the State to the Evangelical-Methodist Church in the Republic of Poland (consolidated text: Journal of Laws of 2014, item 1712).
Act of February 20, 1997 on the State’s Relationship to Jewish Religious Communities in the Republic of Poland (consolidated text: Journal of Laws of 2014, item 1798).
Act of April 5, 2006 on the Financing of the Pontifical Faculty of Theology in Warsaw from the State Budget (Journal of Laws of 2006, No. 94, item 648).
Act of April 5, 2006 on the Financing of the Pontifical Faculty of Theology in Wrocław from the State Budget (Journal of Laws of 2006, No. 94, item 649).
Act of April 5, 2006 on the Financing of the Ignatianum Jesuit University of Philosophy and Education in Krakow from the State Budget (Journal of Laws of 2006, No. 94, item 650).
Case law - European Court of Human Rights
Ahmet Arslan and Others v. Turkey, 23 February 2010, no 41135/98.
Belcacemi and Oussar v. Belgium, 11 July 2017, no 37798/13.
Dahlab v. Switzerland, 15 February 2001, no 42393/98.
Dakir v. Belgium, 11 July 2017, no 4619/12.
Dogru v. France and Kervanci v. France, 4 December 2008, no 27058/05 and no 31645/04.
El Morsli v. France [decision], 4 March 2008, no15585/06.
Eweida and Others v. the United Kingdom, 10 August 2010, 29 September 2010, 3 September 2010 and 24 June 2010, resp. no 48420/10, 59842/10, 51671/10, and 36516/10 Folgerø and Others v. Norway [Grand Chamber], 29 June 2007, no15472/02.
Hamidovic v. Bosnia and Herzegovina, 5 December 2017, no 57792/15.
Kokkinakis v. Greece, 25 May 1993, no 14307/88.
Kosteski v, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, 13 April 2006, no 55170/00.
Köse and the Others v. Turkey [decision] 24 January 2006, no 26625/02.
Kurtulmuş v. Turkey [decision] 24 January 2006, no 65500/01.
Lachiri v. Belgium, 18 September 2018, no 3413/09.
Lautsi v. Italy, 3 November 2009, no 30814/06.
Lautsi [Grand Chamber] v. Italy, 18 March 2011, no 30814/06.
Mann Singh v. France [decision], 13 November 2008, no 24479/07.
Manoussakis and Others v. Greece, 26 September 1996, no 18748/91.
Otto-Preminger-Institut v. Austria, 20 September 1994, no 13470/87.
Phull v. France [decision], 11 January 2005, no 35753/03.
S.A.S. v. France [Grand Chamber], 26 June 2014, no 43835/11.
Şahin v. Turkey [Grand Chamber], 10 November 2005, no 44774/98.
