CEDH · PRESS;GENERAL;ENG — 6 septembre 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 } .s76CF415B { page-break-before:always; clear:both } .sCB9E0544 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:left } .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 } .s99A63BFE { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:left; font-size:11pt } .s5D8BCAF7 { width:3.12pt; display:inline-block } .s9E97F54A { width:85.05pt; display:inline-block } .s2E932ED2 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:11pt } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS   447 6.9.2005   Press release issued by the Registrar   CHAMBER HEARING D. v. IRELAND   The European Court of Human Rights is holding a Chamber hearing today Tuesday 6   September 2005 at 9.30 a.m., on the admissibility and merits in the case of D. v. Ireland (application no. 26499/02).   The applicant   The applicant, D., is an Irish national who was born in 1961 and lives in Ireland.   Summary of the facts   In late 2001 she became pregnant with twins. In early 2002 an amniocentesis indicated that one foetus had stopped developing at eight weeks and that the second foetus had a chromosomal abnormality known as Trisomy 18 or Edward’s Syndrome which she was given to understand was a fatal abnormality. A second amniocentesis confirmed those findings. The applicant therefore decided that she could not carry the pregnancy to term. Unable to obtain an abortion in Ireland, she travelled to the United Kingdom where the abortion was performed. She could not remain in the United Kingdom for counselling on, among other things, the genetic implications for future pregnancies, although she was given some statistical information about the recurrence of the abnormality. As a result of the abortion, she required follow-up medical treatment in Ireland: she explained to the hospital and to her own family doctor that she had had a miscarriage.   Complaints   The applicant complains about the lack of abortion services in Ireland in the case of lethal foetal abnormality. She maintains that the devastating impact of the diagnosis was unnecessarily exacerbated by the Regulation of Information (Services outside the State for Termination of Pregnancies) Act 1995. Sections 5 and 8 of the 1995 Act limit what a doctor can tell a pregnant woman with a lethal foetal abnormality and prohibit that doctor from making proper arrangements, or a full referral, for a therapeutic abortion abroad. She also complained that she had been discriminated against as a pregnant woman or as a pregnant woman with a lethal foetal abnormality.   She relies on Articles 1 (obligation to respect human rights), 3 (prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment), 8 (right to respect for private and family life), 10 (right to receive information), 13 (right to an effective remedy) and 14 (prohibition of discrimination) of the European Convention on Human Rights. Procedure   The application was lodged with the European Court of Human Rights on 11 July 2002.   Composition of the Court   The case will be heard by a Chamber composed as follows:   Nicolas Bratza (British), President , Giovanni Bonello (Maltese), John Hedigan (Irish), Matti Pellonpää (Finnish), Kristaq Traja (Albanian), Javier Borrego Borrego (Spanish), Ljiljana Mijović (Citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina), judges , Lech Garlicki (Polish), Josep Casadevall (Andorran), Rait Maruste (Estonian), Ján Šikuta (Slovakian), substitute judges , and also Michael O’Boyle , Section Registrar .   Representatives of the parties   Government :   Patricia O’Brien , Agent ,   Brenden McMahon , Co-Agent ,   Donal O’Donnell , Counsel ,   Eileen Barrington , Christine O’Rourke , Liam McCormack , Advisers ;   Applicant :   Barbara Hewson , Michael Forde , Counsel ,   Altaf Qureshi , Adviser .   ***   After the hearing the Court will begin its deliberations, which are held in private. A decision on admissibility, followed if appropriate by a judgment, will be delivered at a later date.   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.