Religion cases of the European Court of Human Rights are much commented on. A systematic analysis of dissenting opinions in religion cases, however, does not exist. Such analysis can shed light on dividing lines within the ECtHR and deepen our understanding of the methods of reasoning of the ECtHR itself. This article contains analysis of dissenting opinions in the rulings of the Grand Chamber in religion cases. The analysis shows a pattern in the dividing lines. Contrary to the prior expectation, the margin of appreciation as such forms no such dividing line. The article discusses and evaluates the findings.

According to the tenets of Judaism and Islam, animals must be slaughtered without any form of stunning. Stunning is often required to alleviate an animal’s suffering when it is killed. Legislation that requires stunning without exempting ritual slaughter leads to an interference with religious freedom that calls for closer justification. With reference to recent legislation in Denmark, this contribution analyses whether blanket stunning can be said to violate the right to freedom of religion in article 9 of the ECHR.