In the case of Jehovah’s Witnesses v. Finland the Court held that there had been no violation of the right to a fair trial and no violation of the freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

The case concerned the obligation for individual Jehovah’s Witnesses to obtain consent when collecting personal data during their door-to-door preaching. The Court found that the domestic authorities had correctly balanced the interests of the applicant community with the rights of individuals as regards their personal information, holding that obtaining consent had been necessary.

• Press release
• Factsheet: Freedom of religion
• Factsheet: Protection of personal data