CEDH · PRESS;GENERAL;ENG — 8 décembre 1999

.s800EAC49 { font-size:12pt } .sFE10DC93 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center } .s29100277 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold } .sA1D3DA2E { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:justify } .s94935B0F { width:389.85pt; display:inline-block } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .s4DDA3AA3 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; font-style:italic } .s7ED160F0 { text-decoration:none } .s33165EBA { font-family:Arial; font-size:8pt; vertical-align:super; color:#0069d6 } .s1DA17C1C { width:26.65pt; display:inline-block } .s4598CDF { width:70.9pt; display:inline-block } .sB70F9E4 { width:1.1pt; display:inline-block } .s23A41E03 { width:36pt; display:inline-block } .sCB27B9E { width:16.66pt; display:inline-block } .sC5412BEF { width:51.05pt; display:inline-block } .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     697   8.12.99   Press release issued by the Registrar   HEARING IN THE CASE OF CHA’ARE SHALOM VE TSEDEK JEWISH LITURGICAL ASSOCIATION v. FRANCE   Wednesday 8 December, at 9 a.m.     The applicant   The case concerns an application brought by a liturgical association of ultra-orthodox Jews, based in Paris (application no. 27417/95).   Summary of the facts   In 1987 the applicant association asked the Minister of the Interior to submit a proposal to the Minister of Agriculture recommending that it be given the official approval it needed in order to be able to perform ritual slaughter in accordance with the very strict religious prescriptions of its members, for whom meat is not kosher unless it is “ glatt ”. Meat from slaughtered animals cannot be “ glatt ” if an examination of their lungs reveals the slightest blemish. This application was refused at final instance by the Conseil d’Etat in a judgment of 25 November 1994 on the ground that the applicant could not be considered a “religious body” within the meaning of Article 10 of the Decree of 1 October 1980, which permits exemption from the obligation to stun animals before they are slaughtered only in the case of ritual slaughter carried out by ritual slaughterers authorised by an approved religious body.   Complaints   The applicant association complains that the rejection of its application for approval infringed its freedom to manifest its religion through observance, guaranteed by Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights. It further complains, under Article 14 of the Convention, that it is the victim of discrimination contrary to that Article in that the approval it sought, which is needed to obtain access to slaughterhouses, was granted, in 1982, only to the Paris Central Consistory, the association which represents the vast majority of Jews in France, whose ritual slaughterers, in the applicant’s submission, do not carry out a sufficiently thorough examination of the meat which they certify as kosher.   Procedure   The application was lodged with the European Commission of Human Rights on 23 May 1995. Having declared the application admissible, the Commission adopted a report on 20   October 1998 in which it expressed the opinion that there had been a violation of Article 9 of the Convention, taken together with Article 14 (fourteen votes to three), and that no separate issue arose under Article 9 taken alone (fifteen votes to two). It referred the case to the Court on 6 March 1999. The French Government also brought the case before the Court on 30 March 1999.   Composition of the Court   The case will be heard by the Grand Chamber composed as follows:   Luzius Wildhaber (Swiss), President , Elisabeth Palm (Swedish), Nicolas Bratza (British), Luigi Ferrari Bravo [1] (Italian), Lucius Caflisch [2] (Swiss), Jean-Paul Costa (French), Willi Fuhrmann (Austrian), Karel Jungwiert (Czech), Marc Fischbach (Luxemburger), Boštjan Zupančič (Slovenian), Nina Vajić (Croatian), John Hedigan (Irish), Wilhelmina Thomassen (Dutch), Margarita Tsatsa-Nikolovska (FYROMacedonia), Tudor Panţîru (Moldovan), Egils Levits (Latvian), Kristaq Traja (Albanian), Judges , András Baka (Hungarian), Pranas Kūris (Lithuanian), Viera Strážnická (Slovakian), Substitute Judges ,   and also Maud de Boer-Buquicchio , Deputy Registrar .   Representatives of the parties   Government:       Jean-François Dobelle , Agent , Didier Houguet et       Philippe Le Carpentier , Counsel , Pierre Boussaroque , Adviser ;   Applicant association:     Jacques Molinié , Counsel, François Molinié , Adviser .     After the hearing the Court will begin its deliberations, which are held in private. Judgment will be delivered at a later date.   Registry of the European Court of Human Rights F – 67075 Strasbourg Cedex Contacts:   Roderick Liddell (telephone: (0)3 88 41 24 92)   Emma Hellyer (telephone: (0)3 90 21 42 15) Fax: (0)3 88 41 27 91   The European Court of Human Rights was set up in Strasbourg in 1959 to deal with alleged violations of the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights. On 1 November 1998 a full-time Court was established, replacing the original two-tier system of a part-time Commission and Court. [1] Judge elected in respect of San Marino. [2] Judge elected in respect of Liechtenstein.