CEDH · PRESS;GENERAL;ENG — 1 juillet 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 } .s23A41E03 { width:36pt; display:inline-block } .sACBC61AB { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-indent:36pt; text-align:justify } .s76CF415B { page-break-before:always; clear:both } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .s4DDA3AA3 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; font-style:italic } .sD35C6159 { width:1.54pt; display:inline-block } .sF9A986A5 { width:12.2pt; display:inline-block } .s598389F8 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center; font-size:11pt } .sCB27B9E { width:16.66pt; display:inline-block } .s8242CF8E { width:39.05pt; display:inline-block } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS     377   1.7.1999   Press release issued by the Registrar   HEARING IN THE CASE OF NILSEN and JOHNSEN v. NORWAY   Thursday, 1 July 1999 at 9 a.m.     The applicants     The case concerns an application (application no.   23118/93) brought by two Norwegian nationals, Arnold Nilsen and Jan Gerhard Johnsen, who were born in 1928 and 1943 and live in Garnes and Fyllingsdalen respectively.   Summary of the facts   The applicants, as chairmen of the Norwegian Police Association, took part in a public debate on allegations of police brutality, responding to a published report by a university researcher, Professor Anders Bratholm, that found a significant number of incidents of such misconduct had occurred in Bergen. On 7 October 1992, in defamation proceedings brought by Mr Bratholm, the Oslo City Court declared several of the applicants' statements null and void and awarded Mr Bratholm damages.   The City Court's judgment was upheld by the Supreme Court on 5 May 1993.   Complaint     The applicants complain that the Norwegian courts’ judgments constituted an unjustified interference with their right to freedom of expression guaranteed under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.   Procedure     The application was lodged with the European Commission of Human Rights on 2   November 1993. Having declared the application admissible, the Commission adopted a report on 9 September 1998 in which it expressed the unanimous opinion that there had been a violation of Article 10 of the Convention. It referred the case to the Court on 24   November   1998. The Norwegian Government also brought the case before the Court on 21   January 1999. Composition of the Court     The case will be heard by the Grand Chamber composed as follows:   Luzius Wildhaber (Swiss), President Elisabeth Palm (Swedish), Christos Rozakis (Greek), Nicolas Bratza (British), Matti Pellonpää (Finnish), Benedetto Conforti (Italian), Antonio Pastor Ridruejo (Spanish), Giovanni Bonello (Maltese), Pranas Kūris (Lithuanian), Riza Türmen (Turkish), Françoise Tulkens (Belgian), Viera Strážnická (Slovakian), Corneliu Bîrsan (Romanian), Josep Casadevall (Andorran), Hanne Sophie Greve (Norwegian), András Baka (Hungarian), Rait Maruste (Estonian), Judges , Marc Fischbach (Luxemburger), Volodymyr Butkevych (Ukrainian), Snejana Botoucharova (Bulgarian), Substitute Judges ,   and also Michele de Salvia , Registrar .     Representatives of the parties   Government:   Frode Elgesem , Acting Agent , Tolle Stabell , Adviser ;   Applicants:   Harald Hjort and Johan Hjort , Counsel .     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) or   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 1959 in Strasbourg to deal with alleged violations of the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights.   On November 1 1998 a permanent Court was established, replacing the original two-tier system of a part-time Court and Commission.