Eweida and Others v the United Kingdom (Applications nos. 48420/10, 59842/10, 57671/10 and 36516/10) HEJUD [2013] ECHR 37

Ms Eweida was a British Airways check-in desk worker. Her employer instructed Ms Eweida, who was a practicing Christian, to remove a crucifix she wore around her neck at work, as it conflicted with corporate uniform policy. Ms Chaplin was a nurse whose employer asked her to remove the crucifix she wore at work on health and safety grounds. She claimed that her subsequent transfer to a non-nursing role upon her refusal to remove the cross was discriminatory.

In these first two cases, the Court considered that the women’s right to manifest their religion had been interfered with. As, in Ms Eweida’s case, the interference was not attributable to the state, the Court first had to address