CEDH · PRESS;HEARINGS;ENG — 30 janvier 2001

.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 } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .s4DDA3AA3 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; font-style:italic } .s5E71CDDF { width:2.64pt; display:inline-block } .s23A41E03 { width:36pt; display:inline-block } .s636F3465 { width:13.3pt; display:inline-block } .s6E3B0C4A { margin-top:0pt; margin-right:4.75pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:justify } .sCB27B9E { width:16.66pt; display:inline-block } .sC5412BEF { width:51.05pt; display:inline-block } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } .s1F6AC3E7 { font-family:Arial; font-size:11pt; font-style:italic } EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS       66   30.1.2001   Press release issued by the Registrar   HEARING IN THE CASE OF EZEH AND CONNORS v. THE UNITED KINGDOM   Tuesday 30 January 2001 at 9.00 a.m.       The applicants   The applicants, both United Kingdom nationals, are Okechukwiw   Ezeh, born in 1967, and Lawrence Connors, born in 1954. Both are currently in prison in the United Kingdom.     Summary of the facts   The case concerns the applicability of Article 6 (right to a fair trial) of the European Convention on Human Rights to proceedings determining charges against prisoners concerning prison disciplinary offences. Mr Ezeh was charged with using threatening language to a parole officer and Mr Connors, with assault of a prison officer. It is argued that each charge had an equivalent in domestic criminal law. Both applicants were found guilty after a hearing before the prison governor, in which neither was legally represented. The maximum potential sentence was forty-two additional days’ detention: Mr Ezeh was sentenced to forty days detention and Mr Connors to seven days detention.     Complaints   The applicants complain under Article 6 § 3 (right to legal assistance) of the Convention, in that they were not allowed to have a lawyer present at the hearing before the governor and that they could not obtain free legal aid for legal representation prior to and during the hearing.     Procedure   Mr Ezeh’s application was lodged with the European Commission of Human Rights on 4   February 1998 and, Mr Connors’, on 3 March 1998. The cases were transmitted to the European Court of Human Rights on 1   November   1998. They have now been joined.           Composition of the Court   The case will be heard by a chamber of seven judges, composed as follows:   Jean-Paul Costa (French), President , Willi Fuhrmann (Austrian), Loukis Loucaides (Cypriot), Nicolas Bratza (British), Hanne Sophie Greve (Norwegian), Kristaq Traja (Albanian), Mindia Ugrekhelidze (Georgian), judges , Pranas Kūris (Lithuanian), Françoise Tulkens (Belgian), Karel Jungwiert (Czech), substitute judges ,   and also Sally Dollé , Section Registrar .     Representatives of the parties   Government:   Ruma Mandal , Agent,     Philip Sales , Counsel,     Steven Bramley , Geoff Underwood , Advisers;     Applicants:   Ben Emmerson , Peter Weatherby , Counsel,     John Dickinson , Solicitor.   ***   After the hearing the Court will begin its deliberations, which are held in private. The Court’s decision on the admissibility of the application will be adopted 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.