The religious education curriculum in Northern Ireland was developed by the region's education department and the four main Christian churches. Photograph: Getty ImagesReligious education in Northern Ireland is in breach of human rights legislation and is unlawful, the UK Supreme Court has ruled. It followed a ruling by the High Court in Belfast in 2022 that religious education and Christian worship were not conveyed in an “objective, critical and pluralistic manner” and therefore breached the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The Northern Ireland Department of Education subsequently won an appeal against part of that judgment. The religious education curriculum in Northern Ireland was developed by the department and the four main Christian churches.

Source: The Irish Times November 19, 2025 15:33 UTC