CEDH · PRESS;HEARINGS;ENG — 27 avril 2005

.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 } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial } .s4DDA3AA3 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; font-style:italic } .sCB9E0544 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:left } .s7ED160F0 { text-decoration:none } .s33165EBA { font-family:Arial; font-size:8pt; vertical-align:super; color:#0069d6 } .s69BE285C { margin-top:0pt; margin-left:85.05pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-indent:-85.05pt } .s9A223E1B { width:11.03pt; text-indent:0pt; display:inline-block } .s595A57E4 { width:85.05pt; text-indent:0pt; display:inline-block } .s3CED24E9 { width:27.05pt; text-indent:0pt; display:inline-block } .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   230 27.4.2005   Press release issued by the Registrar   GRAND CHAMBER HEARING HIRST v. THE UNITED KINGDOM (No. 2)   The European Court of Human Rights is holding a Grand Chamber hearing today Wednesday 27 April 2005 at 9 a.m., in the case of Hirst v. the United Kingdom (no. 2) (application no. 74025/01).   The applicant   The applicant, John Hirst, is a British national, who was born in 1950.   Summary of the facts   On 11 February 1980 Mr Hirst pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the ground of diminished responsibility. He was sentenced to a term of discretionary life imprisonment. His tariff (the part of his sentence relating to retribution and deterrence) expired on 25 June 1994. However, he remained in detention, as the Parole Board considered that he continued to present a risk of serious harm to the public.   As a convicted prisoner, Mr Hirst was barred by section 3 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 from voting in parliamentary or local elections. He issued proceedings in the High Court, under section 4 of the Human Rights Act 1998, seeking a declaration that section 3 was incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. On 21   and 22 March 2001 his application was heard before the Divisional Court; but his claim and subsequent appeal were both rejected.   Complaints   The applicant complained about being barred from voting, relying on: Article 3 of Protocol No. 1 (right to free elections) to the European Convention on Human Rights; Article 10 (freedom of expression), in that voting was a form of expression which was fundamental to a functioning democracy; and, Article 14 (prohibition of discrimination) in conjunction with Article 3 of Protocol No. 1, in that he was discriminated against as a convicted prisoner in relation to his voting rights.   Procedure   The application was lodged with the European Court of Human Rights on 5 July 2001 and declared partly admissible on 8 July 2003. A public chamber hearing was held at the Human Rights Building in Strasbourg on 16 December 2003.   In a Chamber judgment of 30 March 2004, the European Court of Human Rights held unanimously that there had been a violation of Article 3 of Protocol No.1, and that no separate issue arose under Article 14 or Article 10.   On 29 June 2004 the Government requested that the case be referred to the Grand Chamber under Article 43 (referral to the Grand Chamber) and on 10 November 2004 the panel of the Grand Chamber accepted that request.   Composition of the Court   The case will be heard by the Grand Chamber composed as follows:   Luzius Wildhaber (Swiss), President , Christos Rozakis (Greek), Jean-Paul Costa (French), Nicolas Bratza (British), Boštjan M. Zupančič (Slovenian), Giovanni Bonello (Maltese), Lucius Caflisch (Swiss) [1] Françoise Tulkens (Belgian), Peer Lorenzen (Danish), Nina Vajić (Croatian), Kristaq Traja (Albanian), Anatoli Kovler (Russian), Antonella Mularoni (San Marinese), Ljiljana Mijović (Citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina), Sverre Erik Jebens (Norwegian), Danute Jočienė (Lithuanian), Ján Šikuta (Slovakian), judges , Vladimiro Zagrebelsky (Italian), Margarita Tsatsa-Nikolovska (Citizen of “the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”), Elisabeth Steiner (Austrian), substitute judges , and also Erik Fribergh , Deputy Registrar .   Representatives of the parties   Government :   Emily Willmott , Agent ,   Rabinder Singh, Counsel ,   Margaret Hodgson , Malcom Rawlings , Bob Daw , Advisers ;   Applicant :   Flo Krause , Counsel ,   Elkan Abrahamson , Solicitor .   The applicant will also attend the hearing.   ***   After the hearing the Court will begin its deliberations, which are held in private.   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. More detailed information about the Court and its activities can be found on its Internet site. [1] Judge elected in respect of Liechtenstein.