Arrowsmith v. UK

(Application No.7050/75), Comm. Rep 1978, 19 DR 5

The case involves a pacifist who was trying to urge soldiers not to go to Northern Ireland.

Whilst the applicant could prove her pacifist beliefs, and the court accepted that Article 9 of the ECHR covered these, she could not prove that the 'practice' of handing out flyers to soldiers urging them not to go to Northern Ireland was a legitimate manifestation of her beliefs and not just an act motivated by her beliefs. The implication of this is that it is the court that decides what is important to a believer.

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