Freedom of religion and belief is one of the central rights set out in international human rights treaties and yet it is also one of the most controversial. This text aims to provide a detailed analysis of the law of freedom of religion, as developed under the European Convention on Human Rights.

1. Introduction ; 2. Towards a Theory of Freedom of Religion or Belief ; 3. Historical Background ; 4. Defining Religion or Belief ; 5. Freedom of Religion or Belief ; 6. The Right to Manifest a Religion or Belief ; 7. Limitations on Manifestations of Religion or Belief ; 8. Neutral and Generally Applicable Laws ; 9. Conclusion ; Select Bibliography

`... the relative underdevelopment of religious liberties in the UK makes this work of critical importance. ... Courts faced with the difficult task of blending existing laws, which for the most part grew up piecemeal out of historical necessity, into a cohesive whole will have great need for recourse to the European jurisprudence that Dr Evans has so ably presented in her book. ... this is a very well written and researched book ... the issues associated with religious freedoms are thorny, but such difficulties suggest an increased, rather than decreased, need to address this area of law. Dr Evans has done a fine job in showing how such analyses can and should be done.' The Cambridge Law Journal Vol. 61 Part 2, July 2002 `... excellent book ... a good place to start looking at the rights to freedom of religion and belief under the European Convention on Human Rights. ... a useful examination of the distinctions between thought, conscience, religion and belief. ...This book is a careful and thorough analysis of the operation of Article 9 of the ECHR which is highly recommended to anyone wishing to study this area.' European Human Rights Law Review, Issue 1, 2002 `well-researched ... Dr Evans' book is an important introduction to Article 9 of the ECHR for the enlightened English-speaking juridical community.' European Journal of International Law Vol 12 Number 4, Sept 2001 `This is a very good book indeed. well-constructed chapters as far as individual religious freedom under Article 9 is concerned, there is no better book. It is replete with insightful observations and sound judgment and sensible suggestions and it is surely destined to become a standard point of reference on the subject.' European Public Law `This text is based on sound historical research and successfully lays out some of the very complex issues surrounding freedom of religion or belief in the European context.' World

European human rights law is very topical with the UK's incorporation of the ECHR The author has surveyed all the case law relating to this topic, providing an analysis that is useful to practitioners as well as academics

European human rights law is very topical with the UK's incorporation of the ECHR The author has surveyed all the case law relating to this topic, providing an analysis that is useful to practitioners as well as academics