Right to freedom of religion and the principle of neutrality of the state in in the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights and the decisions of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. Ukrainian Perspective and view to the future

This article suggests a review of the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights and the practices of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe as sources of evaluation of the material and procedural requirements as to the right to freedom of expression. These practices, being synchronised and coherent, are aimed at ensuring implementation of the requirements of the Convention. The right to freedom of expression reflects several aspects of realisation of this right – its realisation as an individual and its collective dimension – together with other persons, or even refusal to exercise a right to freedom of religion. Also, most importantly, the article deals with the requirements of the procedural protection of this right, supplemented guarantees of preventive nature and procedural nature aimed at ensuring effective protection of the right domestically. Such measures include domestic administrative or judicial action. The right to freedom of religion is a right, which integrates some aspects of its subsidiary implementation. In particular, in determining existence of legitimate aim and proportionality of interference with the right to freedom of religion. The article also discusses the relevance of “margin of appreciation” and “proportionality” as elements that influence academic discussions and public criticism of some of the approaches taken by the European Court of Human Rights in assessing compliance of measures taken by the states to limit exercise of freedom of religion.