The European Court of Human Rights (the “ECHR”) has issued its long awaited judgment in the case of Eweida and Others v the United Kingdom, the joint complaint of four employees that the UK had failed to protect their right to manifest their religion and be protected against discrimination under, respectively, Articles 9 and 14 of the European Convention of Human Rights (the “Convention”). This judgment is welcome guidance for employers faced with the often difficult task of balancing the competing rights of employees and service users.

The joint complaint comprised two categories of cases: one relating to the display of religious symbols at work and the other relating to conflicts between employees’ duties and their religious beliefs.