Saturday 19 July 2014

Conscientious Objection In The Armed Forces; Article 9 (only); Human Rights Act 1998

Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) refers to the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and to manifest that religion or belief. Conscientious objection (CO) in the armed forces is not explicitly mentioned as a right under Article 9 ECHR, nonetheless the Court will consider whether the objector’s motives for refusing to perform military service was due to his conscience or his genuine religious or other beliefs and whether this would constitute a conviction or not. This will depend on the circumstances of the case before the Court.[1]

Religion can be defined as 'the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or Gods', and conscience is ‘a person’s moral sense of right and wrong, viewed as acting as a guide to one’s behaviour’.[2] Therefore CO can be seen as a broad concept which relates to Article 9 ECHR. To support this point, a wide definition of CO in the armed forces is something that ‘arises when a serving or prospective member of the armed forces finds that their work cannot or could not be done in good conscience’,[3] be it for religious, moral, philosophical, or political reasons[4].

Although there is a negative obligation imposed on the State to not interfere with the rights under Article 9(1) ECHR, there are limitations for freedom to manifest one’s religion or belief[5] which are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of public safety, protection of public order, health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others. This means that Article 9 is a qualified right and that the State can, in this particular case, refuse to grant CO to the applicant provided that the limitations are prescribed by law (principle of legality).  

A case example to consider is Kokkinakis,[6] where it was held that the sentence given to the defendant would amount to a breach of Article 9 ECHR so as to exercise his ‘freedom to manifest [his] religion or belief’, unless it is ‘prescribed by law’, necessary in a democratic society, and it has a legitimate aim.[7] In this case, the Court held that there was an interference with the defendant’s right because it was found that the contested measure was not proportionate to the legitimate aim, neither was it necessary in a democratic society…for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others,[8] thus a breach of Article 9 ECHR.

The United Kingdom (UK) has recognised the concept of CO since 1757[9], where a British law allowed exemption from compulsory militia service. In the early nineteenth century, Napoleon granted exemption to Protestant Anabaptists.[10] The idea of CO was reinforced through the creation of the Military Service Act 1916, where conscription was imposed to all single men aged between eighteen and forty-one years old during World War One, but nevertheless there were exceptions which included conscientious objectors. Also, the National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939 was enacted once the Second World War had commenced, which also recognised conscientious objectors.[11] However it was only in 2011 when the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) had recognised the right to CO as a manifestation of freedom of thought, conscience and religion.[12]

The ECHR was made effective in 1951, yet at this time it had no binding effect on the UK because the ECHR was, and is not directly applicable, meaning that in order for the Convention to be effective in the UK an Act of Parliament would be required, which meant the creation of the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA). However, it must be noted that it is not the creation of the Act alone which makes the Convention effective, but that it is section 2, which mentions that national courts or tribunals should take into account judgements, opinions and decisions made in ECtHR, and section 3(1) which expresses that ‘so far as it is possible to do so [all legislation] must be read and given effect in a way which is compatible with the Convention rights’. If this cannot be done, and the national legislation cannot be seen as compatible with the ECHR, then section 4 will apply, which is the making of a declaration of incompatibility. Consequently, national laws should be made compatible with Article 9 of the ECHR so as to maintain the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and if the right to CO is considered to be under Article 9 ECHR then the States are under an obligation to not violate one’s manifestation of freedom of religion and conscience by refusing to grant to request of the applicant unless of course the limitations are ones set under Article 9(2).

Further, section 6 HRA refers to acts of public authority, and claims that public authority’ can include a court or tribunal, or any person with functions of a public nature. It can be inferred that the Ministry of Defence, who manage the armed forces, is one of public authority, as there functions are functions of a public nature[13] and therefore they are entitled to act compatibly with the ECHR as section 6(1) points out that ‘it is unlawful for a public authority to act in a way which in incompatible with a Convention right’.

There are various principles which are to be contemplated by the State. Firstly, there is the principle of legality which means that in order for a citizen to be punished, the offence must be ‘prescribed by law’. In Sunday Times[14] it was established that the law must be adequately accessible; the citizen must be aware of the legal rules and secondly, it must be foreseeable to the citizen so that he can regulate his conduct. In a CO context, in order for someone to be punished due to an objection to military service there must be a law clearly stating when they will be punished.

Also, positive and negative obligations are imposed on the State. Positive obligations mean that states can be obliged to act and to take active steps to ensure an effective enjoyment of the rights protected by the Convention,[15] such as ‘everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion’ and by individuals having this right it means that they should be able to gain access to CO as it is something which is considered as a manifestation of religion, thought and conscience under Article 9 ECHR. Whereas negative obligations are those that prevent the State from violating a specific right through conduct, in this case the State should not interfere with the right to manifestation of religion and thus it would be made easier to access CO.

The principle of proportionality may arise in cases where it is necessary to obtain a fair balance between common good and individual rights (for example, failing to strike a ‘fair balance’ by considering the employer’s concerns about the corporate image more than the employee’s interest in expressing her religious convictions[16]).

Despite the fact that CO is argued to be a right under Article 9, there has been a conflict in interests of the individual and the State when referring to CO.[17] Previously, the European Commission of Human Rights showed reluctance to recognise CO as a right under Article 9 ECHR, one reason being that Article 9 was read in conjunction with Article 4(3)(b) ECHR.[18] Article 4(3)(b) says that any service of a military character or conscientious objectors in countries where they are recognised are not included in the term ‘forced or compulsory labour’. This implies that the States are not obliged to recognise CO as a right[19], and it has not been seen as a right under Article 9 ECHR.[20]  

Furthermore, it has been suggested that CO in the military context is a fundamental part of an individual’s relationship with the State…when conscientious objectors refuse to perform such a duty; they experience a conflict in their relationship… [There is] a conflict between the beliefs of the objector and the duties laid down in positive law…thus the objector consciously avoids performing an obligation in the name of a superior command.[21] Nonetheless, there have been changes on the view of CO, and depending on the circumstance of the case before the Court, the right to CO can be recognised and this was illustrated in Bayatyan v Armenia[22] where it was held that a CO status could be claimed if it is proved that the complainant’s refusal was motivated by his religious beliefs which amounted to a serious and insurmountable conflict with his obligation to perform military service. Article 9 ECHR applied and it was no longer necessary to read it in conjunction with Article 4(3)(b) ECHR because most member States with conscription had laws recognising the right to CO. The Court went on further to say that because there was no alternative service available in Armenia, there was a failure to balance the interests of the society as a whole and the interests of the complainant, meaning that this failure was not proportionate, and they could not justify with the interference of the person’s right to freedom of religion by saying that the limitation was prescribed by law, there was a legitimate aim, and it was necessary in a democratic society which therefore meant a breach of the Article. This case was followed in Savda v Turkey[23] and in Erçep v Turkey,[24] the latter holding that the numerous convictions on the objector amounted to a violation of Article 9 ECHR because there were conscription laws and no alternative civilian service available.
These cases imply that the right to CO must be recognised and there has to be an option of an alternative to military service as is already done by most Member States, otherwise it will be seen as disproportionate and not necessary in a democratic society. In spite of an applicant having exemption from performing military service, it may not for a substitute civilian service, which was shown in Grandrath,[25] and the State can take measures to enforce the civilian service without breaching Article 9 ECHR,[26]  even if it insists on maintaining a longer period of civilian service than for military conscription.[27]

Although this establishes the Court considering CO more seriously, the cases alone do not show a binding effect on the UK, instead it is section 2 HRA. Consequently, this means that the UK national courts should consider the circumstances of the case before them so as to make a judgment of whether the State can interfere with the objector’s rights under Article 9 because of the limitations under Article 9(2), or not. Also, if the courts recognise the right to CO in a military context, they can impose an alternative civilian service in which the objector will most probably be required to perform.  Lyons[28] illustrates consideration of the Strasbourg judgements, the defendant in this case appealed against his conviction for disobeying a lawful order[29] by arguing that his rights under Article 9 ECHR were violated and that he should not have to perform his duty until the appeal was determined, thus he thought of it as unlawful. Additionally, he argued that he also had protection under the Geneva Conventions 1949. However, this argument was rejected as it was held that the applicant was still a member of the forces and was subject to military discipline.[30] The Bayatyan[31] case was considered and it was argued that the defendant’s refusal was due to his conscience which amounted to a serious and insurmountable conflict with his obligation;[32] nevertheless the court believed that the defendant being a volunteer was a material fact,[33] and consequently the appeal was dismissed. This therefore shows the courts considering all interests because if one or more members could suddenly refuse in a dangerous situation then this would entail potentially grave consequences,[34] which would not be in the public interest and thus Article 9(2) was referred to.

Moreover, it can be indicated that the national courts acknowledge the different reasons for CO, meaning that Article 9 ECHR may be violated for both religious and non-religious reasons if the applicant is refused the right to CO. An example is pacifism, as it was held in Arrowsmith v UK[35] thatpacifism as a philosophy...falls within the ambit of the right to freedom of thought and conscience…it may therefore be seen as a belief protected by art 9(1)’, hence making the access to CO seem more fair and easy. In contrast, it has been claimed that the right to CO is not set out clearly in legislation relating to the armed forces. In fact, CO is only mentioned in the Queen's Regulations for the Royal Navy, however it only mentions the procedure to register for CO.[36], it is not mentioned in the terms of service, and many people are not aware of it.[37] In addition, CO is something which is difficult to access for procedural reasons,[38] as a result successful applications have been rare; six out of nine being successful between 2001 and 2010.[39] This may imply that the State’s interest can override those of the objector, and if so then it may actually be seen as a violation to Article 9 ECHR, which should not be the case because it has a binding effect, thus CO must be made easier to access and this means letting people know, and explaining the meaning of the term. By doing this the limitations to the right to CO can be set out clearly in legislation, thereby making it more accessible and foreseeable so as to benefit the members of the armed forces because they will know more or less when they can be granted the right to CO if they intend to apply for it. 

To conclude, it seems that CO has recently become a recognised right under Article 9, although it had been recognised by the UK through the establishment of the Militia Act 1757. Nevertheless, the recognition of this right by the ECtHR in the case of Bayatyan suggests a more binding effect on all Member States so that they will have to consider the circumstances of the case before them and whether there was a serious and insurmountable conflict with an obligation to perform military service. The reason for this binding effect on the UK is because of the creation of the HRA 1998 which confirms that the UK courts are required to consider and follow the decisions of the Strasbourg Court, and it also requires, in this case, the Ministry of Defence to act compatibly with Article 9, and thus Article 9 cannot be breached, meaning that they cannot refuse to grant CO unless it can be justified. This shows a negative obligation on the State to not interfere with the right under Article 9(1), however Article 9 is a qualified right and it is subject to limitations set out under Article 9(2).  Nonetheless, this right is not set out clearly in legislation and this must be rectified as it shows an indirect interference with the Article 9 rights because some members of the armed forces may not be aware of this right and so State interest prevails.



[1] European Court of Human Rights, ‘Factsheet - Conscientious objection’ (Press Unit, August 2013) http://www.echr.coe.int/Documents/FS_Conscientious_objection_ENG.pdf accessed 29 March 2014
[2] Oxford Dictionary, ‘Oxford Dictionaries: Language Matters’ (OUP, 2014) http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/conscience?q=conscience accessed 30 March 2014
[3] David Gee, ‘Informed Choice? Armed forces recruitment practice in the United Kingdom’ http://www.informedchoice.org.uk/informedchoice/informedchoiceweb.pdf accessed 29 March 2014
[4] Ӧzgür Heval Çinar, Conscientious Objection to Military Service in International Human Rights Law (1st edn, Palgrave Macmillan 2013); Matthew Lipman, ‘The Recognition of Conscientious Objection to Military Service as an International Human Right’ (1990) 21(1) Cal W Int'l LJ 31
[5] James Richardson, Archbold Criminal Pleading Evidence and Practice 2014 (62nd end, Sweet & Maxwell 2013)
[6] Kokkinakis v Greece (1994) 17 EHRR 397
[7] Ibid, at para 36
[8] Kokkinakis (n 6), at para 49
[9] Militia Act 1757
[10] Sam Biesemans, ‘Conscientious Objection: History of conscientious objection in Europe’ (A Peace Pledge Union Project) http://www.ppu.org.uk/learn/infodocs/cos/st_co_eurohistory.html accessed 29 March 2014
[11] Tony Ruhl, ‘National Service – History’ (British Armed Forces and National Service, 2002) http://www.britisharmedforces.org/ns/nat_history.htm accessed 29 March 2014
[12] ‘Conscientious objection to military service – can international human rights systems help?’ (A Conscientious Objector’s Guide to the International Human Rights System) http://co-guide.org/conscientious-objection-military-service-%E2%80%93-can-international-human-rights-systems-help accessed 29 March 2014
[13] Human Rights Act 1998, s 6(3)(b)
[14] Sunday Times v UK (App no 6538/74) (1979) 2 EHRR 245 at para 49
[15] ‘The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) – Introduction’ (ECHR Online, 2008) http://echr-online.com/#ECHR introduction - positive obligations accessed 30 March 2014
[16] Eweida and others v UK (App nos 48420/10, 59842/10, 51671/10 and 36516/10) (ECtHR, 27 May 2013)
[17] David Harris, Michael O’Boyle, Ed Bates and Carla Buckley, Harris, O’Boyle & Warbrick: Law of the European Convention on Human Rights (2nd edn, OUP 2009)
[18] See GZ v Austria (App no 5591/72) (Commission decision of 2 April 1973); Grandrath v Germany (App no 2299/64) (1966) 10 YB 626
[19] GZ v Austria (n 18)
[20] Conscientious Objectors v Denmark (App no 7565/76) (1978) 9 DR 117
[21] Çinar (n 4); see also Charles Moskos and John Whiteclay, The New Conscientious Objection: From Sacred to Secular Resistance (1st edn, OUP USA 1993)
[22] (App no 23459/03) (ECtHR, 7 July 2011)
[23] (App no 42730/05) (2012) ECHR 250
[24] (App no 43965/04) (2011) ECHR 254
[25] Grandrath (n 18)
[26] Johansen v Norway (App no 10600/83) (1985) 44 DR 155
[27] Autio v Finland (App no 17086/90) (1991) 72 DR 245
[28] R v Lyons [2011] EWCA Crim 2808; [2012] 1 WLR 2702
[29] Armed Forces Act 2006, s 12(1)(a)
[30] See also ForcesWatch, ‘Conscientious Objection in the UK Armed Forces’ (ForcesWatch Briefing, 2011) http://forceswatch.net/sites/default/files/ForcesWatch_briefing_conscientious_objection.pdf accessed 6 April 2014
[31] Bayatyan (n 22)
[32] Lyons (n 28) at paras 27-28
[33] Ibid, at paras 28-31
[34] James Wilson and Guy Skelton, ‘A Modern-Day “Conchie”’ (2012) 176(10) CL&J 135
[35] Arrowsmith v United Kingdom (App no 7050/75) (1978) 19 DR 5
[36] For example, the Armed Forces Act 2006 and the Armed Forces Act 2011; ForcesWatch (n 30)
[37] ForcesWatch (n 30)
[38] ‘United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Human Rights and the Armed Forces’ (War Resisters’ International, 1 October 2007) http://wri-irg.org/news/2007/uk2007-unreport-en.htm accessed 6 April 2014
[39] ForcesWatch (n 30); see also Sam Marsden, ‘Conscientious Objectors Figures Revealed’ (The Independent, 30 January 2011) http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/conscientious-objectors-figures-revealed-2198647.html accessed 6 April 2014