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Written question asked by Baroness Seccombe (Conservative) on Wednesday, 10 June 2015, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 24 June 2015. It was answered by Lord Faulks (Conservative) on Monday, 29 June 2015 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

European Court of Human Rights: Legal Costs

Question

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made or are aware of any assessment of the average cost of taking a case to the European Court of Human Rights; who bears those costs; and in what proportion of cases costs are incurred by (1) private concerns, and (2) the United Kingdom public purse.

Answer

The applicant has to pay the costs of making the application. However if the Court finds a violation against a state, it can then make an award of costs against the state as part of its judgment. The costs to the Government vary significantly depending on the complexity of the case.

Legal aid is not available from the UK for an application to the European Court of Human Rights. However, the European Court has its own legal aid scheme, to which the UK contributes via its national contribution to the costs of Court.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL398
Session
2015-16
Subjects
Legal costs European Court of Human Rights
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk