CEDH · PRESS;GENERAL;ENG — 26 octobre 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 } .s76CF415B { page-break-before:always; clear:both } .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 } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } .sD35C6159 { width:1.54pt; display:inline-block } .s4598CDF { width:70.9pt; display:inline-block } .s38DD6A04 { width:18.2pt; 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     580   26.10.99   Press release issued by the Registrar   HEARING IN THE CASE OF TOMÉ MOTA v. PORTUGAL   Tuesday 26 October 1999 at 2.30 p.m.           The applicant   The case concerns an application (application no. 32082/96) brought by a Portuguese national, Cesário Manuel Tomé Mota, who was born in 1952 and is currently in Linhó Prison (Portugal). He was previously employed as a train driver.   Summary of the facts   Mr Tomé Mota was arrested on 31 August 1991 for using stolen cheques and forging the signatures of the account holders. He was suspected of handling stolen goods, fraud and forgery.   Various criminal proceedings were brought against him. In one of them, the applicant relied on special provisions of the 1987 Code of Criminal Procedure intended to expedite protracted criminal proceedings. He contends, however, that that process was not an effective remedy for the purposes of Article 35 § 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights and that he was not therefore obliged to avail himself of it in all the proceedings.   Complaint   The applicant, who relies on Article 6 § 1 of the Convention, complains of the length of the proceedings.   Procedure   The application was lodged with the European Commission of Human Rights on 19   June 1995. It was transmitted to the Court on 1 November 1998.   On 22 June 1999 the Fourth Section of the Court decided to invite the parties to make oral submissions at a hearing on the admissibility and merits of the application.           Composition of the Court   The case will be heard by a Chamber composed as follows:   Matti Pellonpää (Finnish), President , Georg Ress (German), Antonio Pastor Ridruejo (Spanish), Lucius Caflisch [1] (Swiss), Jerzy Makarczyk (Polish), Ireneu Cabral Barreto (Portuguese), Nina Vajić (Croatian), Judges , Volodymyr Butkevych (Ukrainian), John Hedigan (Irish), Snejana Botoucharova (Bulgarian), Substitute Judges ,   and also Vincent Berger , Section Registrar .   Representatives of the parties   Government:   António Henriques Gaspar , Agent ,   Osvaldo Pina , Adviser ;   Applicant:   João Luís Lopes dos Reis , 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)   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] Elected as the judge in respect of Liechtenstein.