Human Rights Court Hears First Case

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29326, 4 October 1960, Page 15

Human Rights Court Hears First Case

(Rec. 10 pan.) STRASBOURG, October 3. The European Court of Human Rights will hear its first case at Strasbourg today—Gerard Richard Lawless v. the Republic of Ireland.

It is a historic occasion since this is the first time that a human rights court will meet with powers to take decisions binding on governments and to consider cases initiated by tndhdda|l‘citizens, American Associated Press reports. The Court of seven judges is presided over by Mr Rene Cassin, formerly vice-president ot the French Council ot State. Although a Frenchman presides, France is the only country in the 15-nation Council of Europe which has not yet ratified the human rights convention. Under this convention the whole Court Is composed of 15 judges—one from each member nation. The seven .sitting on the present case were ifrawn by lot a » u ss , national. He complains that he was arrested on suspicion of belonging to an illegal organisation (the Irish Republican Army) in 1957 and was then held for five months, without charge or trial, in the Curragh internment camp, Kildare. He claims his detention was a breach of the human rights convention, which guarantees a per-

son’s right to liberty and security and the proper administration of justice. Lawless is claiming damages through the European convention for his imprisonment The amount has not been disclosed. His case has already been the subject of long written pleadings and oral hearings before the Human Rights Commission. The commission finally declared last April that it had by majority concluded that the detention of Lawless did not violate the convention, having regard to the public emergency which existed in Ireland at the time. However, in view of the fundamental importance of the legal issues involved, it referred the case to the court. The Irish Government agreed to appear as a party and appointed Mr Thomas Woods, the Irish permanent representative to the Council of Europe, to argue its case today. He will be assisted Mr O’Keefe, the Attorney-General of Ireland. It is not clear who will represent Lawless. ■ The hearings are expected to be limited to preliminary objections and no final judgment is likely at this stage.