HC Deb 17 July 2001 vol 372 cc142-3
23. Miss Anne Begg (Aberdeen, South)

What Scottish cases are pending before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. [2601]

The Advocate-General for Scotland (Dr. Lynda Clark)

Of the current cases against the UK that have been notified to the UK to date, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has identified four as being of particular interest to a Scottish Executive lead Department. Those cases involve a number of issues about the application of article 6, which concerns the right to a fair trial, article 5, which concerns the right to liberty and security, and one case involving article 3, which prohibits inhuman or degrading treatment.

Miss Begg

Is the Advocate-General involved in any of the cases, or does her involvement stops once a case gets to Strasbourg? Is she likely to be involved in such cases in future?

The Advocate-General

I am not currently involved in the four cases to which I referred, but some of them are still at a very early stage in the procedure before the European Court of Human Rights. Obviously, as a UK Law Officer, I am available, if requested, to give advice about such matters or to appear on behalf of the UK. I am certainly willing to do that in the European Court of Human Rights, as I have done in many of the other courts.