CEDH · PRESS;GENERAL;ENG — 11 janvier 2000

.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 } .s75AF5381 { font-family:Arial; font-size:8pt; display:none } .s76CF415B { page-break-before:always; clear:both } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .s4DDA3AA3 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; font-style:italic } .sCB27B9E { width:16.66pt; display:inline-block } .sC5412BEF { width:51.05pt; display:inline-block } EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS     11   11.1.2000   Press release issued by the Registrar   HEARING IN THE CASE OF CALOC v. FRANCE   Tuesday, 11 January 2000 at 9 a.m.     The applicant   The case concerns an application brought by a French national, Adrien Caloc, who was born in 1954 and lives at Le Lorrain (Martinique). He is a self-employed labourer.   Summary of the facts   On 29 September 1988 the applicant presented himself at the police station ( gendarmerie ) at Le   Lorrain, where he had been asked to attend for questioning in connection with a complaint that he had sabotaged two bulldozers. He alleges that he was ill-treated at the police station, subjected to excessive violence when he tried to escape and left in a cell in handcuffs and chains for twenty-four hours without food.   On 18 November 1988 Mr Caloc lodged a complaint against the Le Lorrain police with the Fort-de-France public prosecutor, alleging assault occasioning actual bodily harm; a police investigation was launched as a result.   On 3 March 1989 the applicant joined the proceedings as a civil party. On 6 March 1996 – more than seven years and three months after the complaint had been lodged – the Court of Cassation dismissed an appeal on points of law against a judgment that had been delivered on 15 December 1994 by the Indictment Division of the Basse-Terre Court of Appeal, which had ruled that there was no case to answer for lack of sufficient evidence against the police officers.   Complaint   The applicant complains of inhuman and degrading treatment contrary to Article 3 of the t European Convention on Human Rights and of the excessive length of the proceedings, contrary to Article 6 (right to a fair trial).   Procedure   The application was lodged with the European Commission of Human Rights on 6 May 1996. Having declared the application admissible on 25 May 1998, the Commission adopted a report on 3 March 1999 in which it expressed the opinion by twenty-eight votes to one that there had been no violation of Article 3 of the Convention   and that there had been a violation of Article   6 as regards the length of the proceedings. It referred the case to the Court on 3   June   1999.   Composition of the Court   On 7 July 1999 a panel of the Grand Chamber decided that the case would be heard by a Chamber set up within one of the Sections of the Court.   The Chamber is composed as follows:     Pranas Kūris (Lithuanian), President , Jean-Paul Costa (French), Françoise Tulkens (Belgian), Willi Fuhrmann (Austrian), Karel Jungwiert (Czech), Hanne Sophie Greve (Norwegian), Kristaq Traja (Albanian), Judges , Mindia Ugrekhelidze (Georgian), Substitute Judge ,   and also Sally Dollé , Section Registrar .   Representatives of the parties   Government: Michèle Dubrocard , Agent , Gilbert Bitti , Counsel ;   Applicant: Raymond Auteville , 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.