Phoenix Law Welcomes Landmark UK Supreme Court Judgment Protecting Children’s and Parents’ Rights in Religious Education

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
19 November 2025

Phoenix Law, acting on behalf of JR87 and her father (“G”), welcomes today’s landmark judgment of the UK Supreme Court which finds that the provision of religious education and collective worship in Northern Ireland schools does not comply with fundamental human rights standards, including the requirement that teaching be objective, critical, and pluralistic, as protected by Article 2 of Protocol 1 and Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Supreme Court unanimously allowed the appeal brought by JR87 and her father, overturning the ruling of the Court of Appeal and restoring essential safeguards for children from non-religious, minority, or non-Christian backgrounds educated in Northern Ireland’s state-funded schools.

In summary, the UK Supreme Court held that:

1. The current core syllabus for Religious Education, drafted by representatives of the four main Christian churches and mandated across all grant-aided schools, is not delivered in an objective, critical, and pluralistic manner.

2. Teaching based on the core syllabus, as implemented in the school attended by JR87, amounted to evangelism or proselytising, and therefore breached the rights of both the child and her parents.

3. The statutory right to withdraw a child from Religious Education and collective worship is not sufficient to remedy those breaches, because exercising that right places an “undue burden” on parents and carries a significant risk of stigmatisation for children.  

4. The Department of Education has failed in its duty to inspect or monitor religious education and collective worship to ensure compliance with human rights standards.

5. The Core Curriculum will need to be revised, and not by the Four Churches Group solely.

A Significant Victory for Human Rights and Educational Equality

Darragh Mackin, Solicitor for JR87 and her father said: 

“This decision is a watershed moment for educational rights in this jurisdiction.   The Supreme Court has confirmed that all children are entitled to an education that respects their freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.

The judgment makes clear that the State cannot rely on withdrawal mechanisms to justify religious instruction.  Schools must not place children in the impossible position of being singled out or stigmatised simply because their families do not share the religious worldview embedded in the curriculum.”

Call for Immediate Reform

The Court’s findings place a clear responsibility on the Department of Education to urgently:

1. Review and reform the Religious Education core syllabus, ensuring pluralistic, age-appropriate, non-confessional teaching from the earliest stages of schooling.
2. Establish effective inspection and oversight mechanisms for Religious Education and collective worship.
3. Provide schools with clear guidance on delivering lawful, rights-compliant religious education which reflects the diversity of modern Northern Ireland.

NOTE TO EDITORS

1. All media enquiries can be directed to media@phoenix-law.org

• There is an anonymity order in place in this case.  No information should therefore be published which could lead to the identification of either applicant in this case.  

• The full Judgment can be read here.