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The right to freedom of thought under the European Convention on Human Rights
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Date
2024
Authors
Benziger, Felicitas
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
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Abstract
The right to freedom of thought (FOT) is considered a fundamental right enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) as well as a wide range of national, international and European texts as this Handbook demonstrates. Contrary to the fundamental importance of the right to FOT, scholarly engagement has only started to gather pace more recently, in particular with regards to the right’s role and function in the face of unprecedented socio-technological developments. However, even in the limited context of the ECHR, research and practice concerning the right to FOT are embryonic. This is partially due to uncertainty concerning its content, considering that there is no definition of ‘thought’, which in turn relates to doubts concerning its particular context of application. Especially from a practitioner's perspective cases do not yet appear to have emerged within the ambit of the ECtHR where a claim was based on the right to FOT as such, rather than its ‘sister rights’ freedom of conscience and freedom of religion. Another reason for the hesitant engagement with the right to FOT is the perception that thoughts only appertain to the inner realm of a person’s identity (forum internum) and are thus beyond the reach of legal regulation.
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Keywords
Freedom of thought (FOT) , European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)
Citation
Benziger, F. (2024) 'The right to freedom of thought under the European Convention on Human Rights', in O'Callaghan, P. and Shiner, B. (eds.) The Cambridge Handbook of the Right to Freedom of Thought. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [Forthcoming]
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Copyright
© 2024. This material has been accepted for publication by Cambridge University Press, and a revised form will be published in O'Callaghan, P. and Shiner, B. (eds.) The Cambridge Handbook of the Right to Freedom of Thought. This version is free to view and download for private research and study only. Not for re-distribution or re-use.