CEDH · CASELAW;CLIN;ENG — 20 février 1996

.s3ABFC313 { font-size:10pt } .sD4B5322E { margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:12pt; text-align:justify } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial } .sA241FE93 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:18pt; text-align:justify; page-break-after:avoid; border-bottom:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-bottom:1pt } .s2EF62ED2 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:12pt } .s4DDA3AA3 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; font-style:italic } .s29100277 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .s8F2B0B1B { margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:12pt; page-break-after:avoid; font-size:12pt } .s9FF10068 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:12pt } .sEB86A30B { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:14pt; page-break-after:avoid } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } .s5F48796F { margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:justify } .s85F2E5C5 { width:30.44pt; display:inline-block } .sBDAE81C4 { width:27.67pt; display:inline-block } .s49A78FE0 { width:26.55pt; display:inline-block } .s8B6C6D43 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; border-bottom:1pt solid #000000; padding-bottom:1pt } .sDF790F1E { margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center } .s7ED160F0 { text-decoration:none } .s3DC36BA9 { font-family:Arial; text-decoration:underline; color:#0069d6 } Information Note on the Court’s case-law No. February 1996 Vermeulen v. Belgium - 19075/91 Judgment 20.2.1996 [GC] Article 6 Article 6-1 Fair hearing Adversarial trial Plaintiff in civil proceedings in the Court of Cassation unable to reply to submissions made at the hearing by a member of the procureur général 's department and participation of the latter in the court's deliberations: violation [This summary is extracted from the Court’s official reports (Series A or Reports of Judgments and Decisions). Its formatting and structure may therefore differ from the Case-Law Information Note summaries.] I.   ARTICLE 6 § 1 OF THE CONVENTION Nature of functions of procureur général 's department at Court of Cassation did not vary according as case was a civil or a criminal one - findings in Delcourt and Borgers judgments regarding independence and impartiality of Court of Cassation and its procureur général 's department still wholly valid. Great importance of part actually played in proceedings by member of procureur général 's department: his submissions contained an opinion intended to advise and accordingly influence the Court of Cassation - what had been at stake for the applicant in the proceedings before that court - fact that it had been impossible for applicant to reply to submissions before end of hearing had infringed his right to adversarial proceedings. Participation of member of procureur général 's department in Court of Cassation's deliberations had afforded, if only to outward appearances, an additional opportunity to bolster his submissions without fear of contradiction. Conclusion : violation (fifteen votes to four). II.   ARTICLE 50 OF THE CONVENTION A.   Damage Pecuniary damage: claim dismissed. Non-pecuniary damage: sufficiently compensated by the judgment. B.   Costs and expenses Reimbursement assessed on equitable basis. Conclusion : respondent State to pay a specified sum for costs and expenses (unanimously).   © Council of Europe/European Court of Human Rights This summary by the Registry does not bind the Court. Click here for the Case-Law Information Notes