Landbouw & Veeteelt·Recht.nl·5 dec 2024

ECHR withholds clarification on religious neutrality in public spaces

It was supposed to be a welcome clarification on religious neutrality in public spaces. Instead, the application by two Muslim women banned from wearing full body swimwear in a public swimming pool was declared inadmissible - causing considerable uncertainty. Departing from well-established case law, the Court held that the Belgian applicants had not exhausted all national remedies by forgoing an appeal.