Information Note on the Court’s case-law 44

July 2002

Murphy v. Ireland (dec.) - 44179/98

Decision 9.7.2002 [Section III]

Article 10

Article 10-1

Freedom of expression

Ban on broadcasting of radio advertisement for religious meeting: admissible

The applicant is a pastor attached to a Bible-based Christian ministry, the Irish Faith Centre. Relying on section 10 § 3 of the Radio and Television Act 1988, the auth orities banned the broadcast of a short radio advertisement which the Irish Faith Centre had prepared to publicise a forthcoming religious meeting. The applicant appealed against this decision, on the ground either that the Act had been wrongly applied or that it was unconstitutional. The High Court found that the Act had been applied correctly and that in any case it presented a reasonable limitation on the right to communicate and thus could not be deemed unconstitutional. The applicant’s subsequent appea l to the Supreme Court was rejected.

Admissible under Articles 9 and 10.

© Council of Europe/European Court of Human Rights This summary by the Registry does not bind the Court.

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