Decision European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section), 9 November 2021, Hermina Geertruida de Wilde v. Netherlands, Application no. 9476/19
Abstract
The present text is a translation of the decision of the European Court of Human Rights of 9 November 2021 in De Wilde v. the Netherlands (Application no. 9476/19). The applicant identified herself as a follower of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and complained that by refusing to issue a new identity card and driving license showing her with a colander on her head, the public authorities in the Netherlands had violated Article 9 (freedom of thought, conscience and religion) both taken alone and read in conjunction with Article 14 (prohibition of discrimination) of the European Convention on Human Rights. However, the Tribunal declared the application inadmissible and agreed with the domestic authorities in finding that pastafarianism cannot be considered a “religion” or “belief” within the meaning of Article 9 of the Convention.
Keywords:
European Court of Human Rights, European Convention on Human Rights, Article 9 ECHR, religion or belief, Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, pastafarianismUniversity of Maria Curie-Skłodowska
Dr, Katedra Językoznawstwa Angielskiego i Ogólnego, Wydział Filologiczny, Uniwersytet Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej, Pl. M. Curie-Skłodowskiej 4a, 20-031 Lublin.
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