CEDH · PRESS;GCREFERRALS;ENG — 22 novembre 2003

.s800EAC49 { font-size:12pt } .sFE10DC93 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center } .s29100277 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold } .s40F41F73 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:right } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .s7ED160F0 { text-decoration:none } .s33165EBA { font-family:Arial; font-size:8pt; vertical-align:super; color:#0069d6 } .s4DDA3AA3 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; font-style:italic } .sADADF4A7 { font-family:Arial; text-decoration:underline } .sCB9E0544 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:left } .s9F8EB0C0 { width:18.63pt; display:inline-block } .s9E97F54A { width:85.05pt; display:inline-block } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } .sF6A12959 { width:33%; height:1px; text-align:left } .s2EB42ED2 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:10pt } .s653E6C45 { font-family:Arial; font-size:6.67pt; vertical-align:super; color:#0069d6 } EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS   584 22.11.2004   Press release issued by the Registrar   CASES ACCEPTED FOR REFERRAL TO THE GRAND CHAMBER   The Grand Chamber panel of five judges has accepted the following cases for referral to the Grand Chamber under Article 43 [1] of the European Convention on Human Rights:   Hirst v. the United Kingdom (no. 2) (application no. 74025/01). The case concerns the bar on the applicant’s voting in parliamentary or local elections on account of his status as a prisoner. In a judgment of 30 March 2004 (see press release no. 157), the Court held that there had been a violation of Article 3 of Protocol No. 3 to the Convention (right to free elections) and considered that no separate issue arose under Articles 14 (prohibition of discrimination) and 10 (freedom of expression). The case was referred to the Grand Chamber at the Government’s request.   Leyla Şahın v. Turkey (no. 44774/98). The case concerns the prohibition on the applicant’s wearing the Islamic headscarf at university. In a judgment of 29 June 2004 (see press release no. 330), the Court held that there had been no violation of Article 9 (freedom of thought, conscience and religion) and considered that no separate issue arose under Articles 8 (right to respect for private life), 10 (freedom of expression) and 14 (prohibition of discrimination) taken in conjunction with Article 9 and Article 2 of Protocol No. 1 (right to education). The case was referred to the Grand Chamber at the applicant’s request.   Ždanoka v. Latvia (no. 58278/00). The case concerns the prohibition on the applicant’s standing for parliamentary and local elections on account of her active participation in the Communist Party of Latvia. In a judgment of 17 June 2004 (see press release no. 303), the Court held that there had been a violation of Article 3 of Protocol No. 1 (right to free elections) and of Article 22 (freedom of assembly and association), and considered that there was no need to examine separately the complaint under Article 10 of the Convention (freedom of expression). The case was referred to the Grand Chamber at the Government’s request.   ***   Further information about the Court can be found on its Internet site ( http://www.echr.coe.int ).   Registry of the European Court of Human Rights F – 67075 Strasbourg Cedex Press contacts:   Roderick Liddell (telephone: +00 33 (0)3 88 41 24 92)   Emma Hellyer (telephone: +00 33 (0)3 90 21 42 15)   Stéphanie Klein (telephone: +00 33 (0)3 88 41 21 54) Fax: +00 33 (0)3 88 41 27 91   The European Court of Human Rights was set up in Strasbourg by the Council of Europe Member States in 1959 to deal with alleged violations of the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights. Since 1 November 1998 it has sat as a full-time Court composed of an equal number of judges to that of the States party to the Convention. The Court examines the admissibility and merits of applications submitted to it. It sits in Chambers of 7 judges or, in exceptional cases, as a Grand Chamber of 17 judges. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe supervises the execution of the Court’s judgments. [1] Under Article 43 of the European Convention on Human Rights, within three months from the date of a Chamber judgment, any party to the case may, in exceptional cases, request that the case be referred to the 17 ‑ member Grand Chamber of the Court. In that event, a panel of five judges considers whether the case raises a serious question affecting the interpretation or application of the Convention or its protocols, or a serious issue of general importance, in which case the Grand Chamber will deliver a final judgment. If no such question or issue arises, the panel will reject the request, at which point the judgment becomes final. Otherwise Chamber judgments become final on the expiry of the three-month period or earlier if the parties declare that they do not intend to make a request to refer.