CEDH · PRESS;HEARINGS;ENG — 25 novembre 1998

.s800EAC49 { font-size:12pt } .s598389F8 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center; font-size:11pt } .s29100277 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold } .s85016119 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:justify; font-size:11pt } .s94935B0F { width:389.85pt; display:inline-block } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial } .s23A41E03 { width:36pt; display:inline-block } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } .s75A32C27 { border-collapse:collapse } .s938C1CCA { padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top } .s4DDA3AA3 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; font-style:italic } .s2E932ED2 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:11pt } .s844D19F { width:7.32pt; display:inline-block } .s675F32E1 { width:22.59pt; display:inline-block } .sA1D3DA2E { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:justify } EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS     769   25.11.98   Press release issued by the Registrar   HEARING IN THE CASE OF VAN GEYSEGHEM v. BELGIUM   Wednesday 25 November 1998 at 3 p.m.   The applicant     The case concerns an application brought by a Belgian national, Mrs Nicole Van Geyseghem, who was born in 1942 and lives at Hoeilaart (Belgium).   At the material time, she was a nursery nurse.   Summary of the facts     In 1987 the applicant was prosecuted in the Belgian criminal courts for her involvement on three occasions in an international cocaine-trafficking ring in which her role was to import the drugs from Brazil into Belgium.     After being convicted at first instance by Brussels Criminal Court, she appealed against her conviction.   She did not attend the first hearing of her appeal: neither she nor a lawyer appeared before the Brussels Appeal Court. Mrs Van Geyseghem applied, as she was entitled to do under Belgian law, to set aside her conviction in absentia and sentence to three years’ imprisonment and a fine of 60,000 Belgian francs.   That application brought the case back before the Court of Appeal for a further hearing.   The applicant did not attend that hearing either, but intended that her counsel should represent her.   The Court of Appeal gave judgment on 4 October 1993 refusing her counsel leave to represent her and declaring her application void.   Mrs Van Geyseghem’s appeal to the Court of Cassation was dismissed on 4   May 1994.   Complaints     The applicant complains of the Brussels Court of Appeal’s refusal to grant her counsel leave to represent her at the hearing and make submissions on her behalf.   She alleges a violation of Article   6 §§ 1 and 3 (c) of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees the right to a fair hearing and to legal assistance of one’s own choosing.   Procedure     The application was lodged with the European Commission of Human Rights on 25   October 1994. Having found the application admissible, the Commission adopted a report on 3   December 1997 in which it established the facts and expressed the opinion that there had been a violation of Article   6 of the Convention (14 votes to 1).   The Belgian Government referred the case to the old Court on 9 April 1998. Mrs Van Geyseghem likewise brought the case before the Court.   Composition of the Court     Under the transitional provisions of Protocol No. 11 to the Convention, the case was transmitted to the Grand Chamber of the new European Court of Human Rights on the entry into force of the Protocol, on 1 November 1998. It will be heard by the Grand Chamber composed as follows:     Luzius Wildhaber , President   (Swiss), Elisabeth Palm , Vice-President   (Swedish), Christos Rozakis , Vice-President   (Greek), Nicolas Bratza   (British), Matti Pellonpää   (Finnish), Benedetto Conforti   (Italian), Antonio Pastor Ridruejo   (Spanish), Giovanni Bonello   (Maltese), Jerzy Makarczyk   (Polish), Pranas Kūris   (Lithuanian), Riza Türmen   (Turkish), Françoise Tulkens   (Belgian), Corneliu Bîrsan   (Romanian), Marc Fischbach   (Luxemburger), Hanne Sophie Greve   (Norwegian), Rait Maruste   (Estonian), Snejana Botoucharova   (Bulgarian), Judges , Viera Strážnická   (Slovakian), Josep Casadevall   (Andorran), András Baka   (Hungarian), Substitute Judges ,   and also Michele de Salvia , Registrar , Paul Mahoney , Deputy Registrar , and Maud de   Boer-Buquicchio , Deputy Registrar .   Representatives of the parties   Government:   Mr Jan Lathouwers , Agent, and Ms Beatrix Vanlerberghe, counsel.   Applicant:   Mr Raf Verstraeten , counsel .     The Commission will be represented by Mr Egidijus Bieliunas .     After the hearing the Court will begin its deliberations, which are held in private. Judgment will be delivered at a later date.     Subject to his duty of discretion, the Registrar is responsible under the Rules of Court for replying to requests for information concerning the work of the Court, and in particular to enquiries from the press.   Registry of the European Court of Human Rights F – 67075 Strasbourg Cedex Contact: Roderick LIDDELL Telephone: (0)3 88 41 24 92; fax: (0)3 88 41 27 91