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2022 | 25 | 91-105

Article title

Insults to religious feelings v. freedom of expression: Lessons from Aiisa’s case

Content

Title variants

PL
Obraza uczuć religijnych a wolność ekspresji: wnioski ze sprawy Aiisy

Languages of publication

Abstracts

PL
Celem niniejszego artykułu jest analiza wybranych aspektów konfliktu między dwoma podstawowymi wartościami: wolnością ekspresji i wolnością religii. W oparciu o tak zwaną sprawę Aiisy (zob. wyrok Europejskiego Trybunału Praw Człowieka z dnia 22 lipca 2021 r., Ana Gachechiladze v. Georgia, skarga nr 2591/19) autor proponuje generalne kryteria oceny obrazy uczuć religijnych. Dochodzi do wniosku, że sądy krajowe nie mogą działać jako protektorzy konkretnych grup religijnych i akceptowanych społecznie zasad moralnych, ponieważ to wywoływałoby negatywne skutki i destrukcję krajowego systemu prawnego. Co do zasady, nie można wykluczyć, że obrazy i figury otaczane czcią religijną zostaną użyte w reklamie czy innych formach ekspresji. Oceniając tego typu sprawy, sądy powinny wziąć pod uwagę przede wszystkim kontekst, treść i formę, a zakazy dotyczące określonych form ekspresji powinny być traktowane jako środki o charakterze ostatecznym.
EN
The present article aims to analyze selected aspects of the conflict between two basic values: freedom of expression and freedom of religion. Based on the co-called Aiisa’s case (see the judgement of the European Court of Human Rights of 22 July 2021, Ana Gachechiladze v. Georgia, App. No. 2591/19), the paper proposes general criteria for assessing insults to religious feelings. It is argued that national courts must not act as guardians of concrete religious groups or conventional morals, as this leads to negative results and destruction of the national law system. As a rule, it cannot be excluded that sacred images and figures are used in commercials or other ways of expression. When adjudicating on a case, every court should primarily consider the context, content and form, and prohibition of expression should be the last and final resort.

Year

Volume

25

Pages

91-105

Physical description

Dates

published
2022

Contributors

  • Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University

References

  • Ahdar, Rex, Ian Leigh. 2005. Religious freedom in the liberal state. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Ahdar, Rex. 2008. “The right to protection of religious feelings.” Otago Law Review 4: 629–656.
  • Cumper, Peter. 2017. “Blasphemy, freedom of expression and the protection of religious sensibilities in twenty-first-century Europe.” In: Blasphemy and freedom of expression: Comparative, theoretical and historical reflection after the Charlie Hebdo massacre, ed. Jeroen Temperman, András Koltay, 137–166. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Dworkin, Ronald. 2006. “The right to ridicule.” New York Review of Books 5.
  • Hammarberg, Thomas. 2007. “Do not criminalize critical remark against religions.” https://www.coe.int/en/web/commissioner/-/do-not-criminalize-critical-remarks-against-religions [accessed: 20 April 2022].
  • Howard, Erica. 2018. Freedom of expression and religious hate speech in Europe. London: Routledge.
  • Jones, Peter. 2011a. “Introduction: Religion and freedom of expression.” Res Publica 17: 1–6. DOI 10.1007/s11158-011-9139-1.
  • Jones, Peter. 2011b. “Religious belief and freedom of expression: Is offensiveness really the issue?” Res Publica 17: 75–90. DOI 10.1007/s11158-011-9144-4.
  • Kelly, Richard. 2020. “Has freedom of expression been unduly restricted in Europe regarding religious matters?” Manchester Review of Law, Crime and Ethics 9: 162–213.
  • Kramer, Mathew H. 2021. Freedom of expression as self-restraint. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Parmar, Sejal. 2015. “Uprooting ‘defamation of religions’ and planting a new approach to freedom of expression at the United Nations.” In: The United Nations and freedom of expression and information: Critical perspectives, ed. Tarlach McGonagle, Yvonne Donders, 373–427. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Plant, Raymond. 2011. “Religion, identity and freedom of expression”. Res Publica 17: 7–20.
  • Stanisz, Piotr. 2020. Religion and law in Poland. Alphen aan den Rijn: Wolters Kluwer.
  • Temperman, Jeroen. 2011. “Freedom of expression and religious sensitivities in pluralist societies: Facing the challenge of extreme speech.” Brigham Young University Law Review 3: 729–756.
  • Voorhoof, Dirk. 2021. “European Court of Human Rights: Gachechiladze v. Georgia.” https://merlin.obs.coe.int/article/9270 [accessed: 20 April 2022].
  • Weber, Anne. 2009. Manual on hate speech. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.

Document Type

Publication order reference

Identifiers

Biblioteka Nauki
2154925

YADDA identifier

bwmeta1.element.ojs-doi-10_31743_spw_14126
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