This article argues that international human rights (quasi-)adjudicatory institutions should do better in considering the best interests of the child and freedom of religion in cases involving human rights aspects of alternative care and adoption. The European Court of Human Rights, particularly, has been using obscure and contradictory standards, which ultimately do not privilege the child’s best interests in matters affecting them directly. Recent Grand Chamber jurisprudence instead puts parents’ interests above the child’s. A child-centred approach where children are not objectified, but treated as autonomous, rights-bearing, legal persons, with independent interests that may override those of other stakeholders is needed. This article explores general international and European rules governing children’s religious rights in alternative care and adoption to expose the Court’s pitfalls in centring children in decision-making involving religion particularly. It generally promotes adoption of a child-centred approach in international human rights courts, and particularly highlights existing hurdles in such approach where the decision-making involves conflicting interests concerning religion.

中文翻译：

---

儿童在替代照料和收养中的宗教身份：需要在国际人权裁决中重新关注儿童的最大利益

本文认为，在涉及替代性照料和收养的人权方面的案件中，国际人权（准）审判机构应该更好地考虑儿童的最大利益和宗教自由。特别是欧洲人权法院一直在使用模糊和矛盾的标准，这些标准最终不会在直接影响他们的事项中优先考虑儿童的最大利益。最近的大法庭判例反而将父母的利益置于孩子的利益之上。需要一种以儿童为中心的方法，在这种方法中，儿童不被物化，而是被视为自主、享有权利的法人，具有独立的利益，可以凌驾于其他利益相关者的利益之上。本文探讨了关于儿童在替代照料和收养方面的宗教权利的一般国际和欧洲规则，以揭露法院在特别涉及宗教的决策中以儿童为中心的缺陷。它总体上提倡在国际人权法院采用以儿童为中心的方法，并特别强调在决策涉及宗教利益冲突的情况下，这种方法存在的障碍。