CEDH · PRESS;GENERAL;ENG — 16 octobre 2003

.s800EAC49 { font-size:12pt } .s5FFF0A77 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:1pt } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial } .sFE10DC93 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center } .s29100277 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .s94935B0F { width:389.85pt; display:inline-block } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } .s32B93E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:5pt } .s9B49264A { margin-top:5pt; margin-bottom:5pt } .s9AE6264A { margin-top:5pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .sCB9E0544 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:left } .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 } .s61E420C2 { font-family:Arial; font-variant:small-caps } .s69BE285C { margin-top:0pt; margin-left:85.05pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-indent:-85.05pt } .s18D96D33 { width:15.69pt; text-indent:0pt; display:inline-block } .sBF401EEE { width:32.35pt; text-indent:0pt; display:inline-block } .s9F8EB0C0 { width:18.63pt; display:inline-block } .s9E97F54A { width:85.05pt; display:inline-block } .sF6A12959 { width:33%; height:1px; text-align:left } .s2EB42ED2 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:10pt }   EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS     502   16.10.2003   Press release issued by the Registrar   CHAMBER HEARING ON THE MERITS IN THE CASE OF INDEPENDENT NEWS AND MEDIA PLC AND INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS (IRELAND) LIMITED v. IRELAND   Thursday 16 October at 9.30 a.m.   The applicants   The case concerns an application (no. 55120/00) brought by two companies incorporated under Irish law, Independent News and Media plc and Independent Newspapers (Ireland) Limited. The second applicant company publishes newspapers, including the Sunday Independent , and is a wholly owned subsidiary of the first applicant company (formerly known as Independent Newspapers plc).   Summary of the facts   On 13 December 1992 the Sunday Independent published an article entitled “Throwing good money at jobs is dishonest”.   The article commented on, among other things, a recently discovered letter allegedly to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. It was alleged in the article that Mr   de Rossa – a well-known Irish politician – was one of two people who had signed the letter, which referred to “special activities” that had previously been carried out in order to meet shortfalls in the funding of the Workers’ Party, a political party of which Mr de Rossa had been leader. According to the article, those “activities” were of a criminal nature. At the time of publication, Mr de Rossa was the leader of another political party (the Democratic Left) and a member of the Irish parliament (the Dáil). He was also involved in post-election negotiations about his party’s participation in government. In August 1993 Mr de Rossa instituted libel proceedings in the High Court against Independent News and Media plc. In July 1997 the jury found the article published by Independent Newspapers (Ireland) Limited to be defamatory and awarded Mr de Rossa 300,000 Irish pounds (approximately 381,000 euros) in damages. Independent News and Media plc appealed unsuccessfully. The award, which was upheld by the Supreme Court, was three times the highest libel award previously approved by that court. The award and Mr de Rossa’s legal costs were paid by Independent Newspapers (Ireland) Limited, as were the first applicant company’s own legal costs.   Complaint   The applicant companies complain under Article 10 (freedom of expression) of the European Convention on Human Rights that the award was disproportionately high and that there are no adequate and effective safeguards in Ireland against such awards.     Procedure   The application was lodged on 20 December 1999 and declared admissible on 19 June 2003.   Composition of the Court   The case will be heard by a Chamber composed as follows:   Georg Ress (German), President , Ireneu Cabral Barreto (Portuguese), Lucius Caflisch (Swiss) [1] , Pranas Kūris (Lithuanian), Riza Türmen (Turkish), John Hedigan (Irish), Hanne Sophie Greve (Norwegian), judges , Boštjan Zupančič (Slovenian), Kristaq Traja (Albanian) , Alvina Gyulumyan (Armenian) , substitute judges , and also Vincent Berger , Section Registrar .   Representatives of the parties   Government:   Patricia O’Brien , Agent , Denise McQuade , co-Agent , Donald O’Connell , Brian Murray , Úna Ní Raifeartaigh , Counsel , Regina Terry , Liam O’Daly , Advisers ;   Applicant:   Eoin McCullough , Counsel , Paula Mullooly , Simon McAleese , Advisers .   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 Press contacts:   Roderick Liddell (telephone: +00 33 (0)3 88 41 24 92)   Emma Hellyer (telephone: +00 33 (0)3 90 21 42 15)   Stéphanie Klein (telephone: +00 33 (0)3 88 41 21 54) Fax: +00 33 (0)3 88 41 27 91   The European Court of Human Rights was set up in Strasbourg by the Council of Europe Member States in 1959 to deal with alleged violations of the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights. Since 1 November 1998 it has sat as a full-time Court composed of an equal number of judges to that of the States party to the Convention. The Court examines the admissibility and merits of applications submitted to it. It sits in Chambers of 7 judges or, in exceptional cases, as a Grand Chamber of 17 judges. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe supervises the execution of the Court’s judgments. More detailed information about the Court and its activities can be found on its Internet site.   1.     Elected as the judge in respect of Liechtenstein.