CEDH · PRESS;HEARINGS;ENG — 21 octobre 2009

.s800EAC49 { font-size:12pt } .s598389F8 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center; font-size:11pt } .s29100277 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold } .sA678F94A { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:right; font-size:11pt } .s7ED160F0 { text-decoration:none } .sCC018295 { font-family:Arial; font-size:5.33pt; vertical-align:super; color:#0069d6 } .s2E932ED2 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:11pt } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial } .s4DDA3AA3 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; font-style:italic } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .s4BAE41EE { font-family:Arial; font-size:11pt } .s92A5AB2 { font-family:Arial; font-size:11pt; text-decoration:underline; color:#0069d6 } .s99A63BFE { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:left; font-size:11pt } .s8A3CF084 { margin-top:0pt; margin-left:85.05pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-indent:-85.05pt; font-size:11pt } .s624258FB { width:17.2pt; text-indent:0pt; display:inline-block } .s595A57E4 { width:85.05pt; text-indent:0pt; display:inline-block } .s39D67136 { width:31.88pt; text-indent:0pt; display:inline-block } .sC7EAD8B { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; text-decoration:underline } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } .sF6A12959 { width:33%; height:1px; text-align:left } .s5FFF0A7E { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:8pt }   785 21.10.2009   Press release issued by the Registrar [1]   GRAND CHAMBER HEARING TAXQUET v. BELGIUM   The European Court of Human Rights is holding a Grand Chamber hearing today Wednesday 21 October 2009 at 9 a.m. in the case of Taxquet v. Belgium (application no.   926/05) concerning an Assize court’s judgement which did not include a statement of reasons and could not be appealed against before a body competent to hear all aspects of the case.   The hearing will be broadcast from 2.30 p.m. on the Court’s Internet site ( http://www.echr.coe.int ).     Summary of the facts   The applicant, Richard Taxquet is a Belgian national who was born in 1957 and is currently serving a prison sentence in Lantin (Belgium). He was accused of murdering, in 1991, a government minister and attempting to murder the minister’s partner. In January 2004, he was sentenced by the Assize court of Lieges to 20 years’ imprisonment. His appeal against his conviction was rejected by the Court of Cassation in June 2004.   Complaints and procedure   Relying on Article 6 §§ 1 and 3 (d) (right to a fair trial) of the European Convention on Human Rights, Mr Taxquet complains that the criminal proceedings brought against him were unfair since the ruling by the Assize court did not include a statement of reasons and could not be appealed against before a body competent to hear all aspects of the case.   The application was lodged with the European Court of Human Rights on 14 December 2004. In a judgment of 13 January 2009, the Court held unanimously that there had been a violation of Article 6 §§ 1 and 3 (d). It awarded the applicant 4,000   euros   (EUR) in respect of non-pecuniary damage and EUR   8,173.22 for costs and expenses. On 5 June 2009 the case was referred to the Grand Chamber at the Government’s request. The Governments of France, Ireland and the United Kingdom have been authorized to submit written observations as third parties.   Composition of the Court   The case will be heard by the Grand Chamber composed as follows:   Jean-Paul Costa (France), President , Christos Rozakis (Greece), Nicolas Bratza (the United Kingdom), Peer Lorenzen (Denmark), Françoise Tulkens (Belgium), Josep Casadevall (Andorra), Boštjan M. Zupančič (Slovenia) Nina Vajić (Croatia), Anatoly Kovler (Russia), Elisabet Fura (Sweden), Sverre Erik Jebens (Norway), Isabelle Berro-Lefèvre (Monaco), Päivi Hirvelä (Finland), Luis López Guerra (Spain), Mirjana Lazarova Trajkovska (“the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”), Nona Tsotsoria (Georgia), Zdravka Kalaydjieva (Bulgaria), judges , Alvina Gyulumyan (Armenia), Nebojša Vučinić (Montenegro), Dean Spielmann (Luxembourg), substitute judges , and also Michael O’Boyle , Deputy Registrar .   Representatives of the parties   Government :   Alexander Hoefmans , Co-Agent,   Koen Lemmens , Counsel,   Hildegaard Penne , Adviser;   Applicant :   Luc Misson , Julien Pierre , Counsel .     ***   After the hearing the Court will begin its deliberations, which are held in private. Judgment will be delivered at a later date.   Press contacts Stefano Piedimonte (telephone : 00 33 (0)3 90 21 42 04) or Tracey Turner-Tretz (telephone : 00 33 (0)3 88 41 35 30) Kristina Pencheva-Malinowski (telephone : 00 33 (0)3 88 41 35 70) Céline Menu-Lange (telephone : 00 33 (0)3 90 21 58 77) Frédéric Dolt (telephone : 00 33 (0)3 90 21 53 39) Nina Salomon (telephone: 00 33 (0)3 90 21 49 79)   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. [1] This summary by the Registry does not bind the Court.