PROCEDURE

The case originated in an application (no. 8866/04) against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) by a United Kingdom national, Mr Yassar Hussain (“the applicant”), on 1 March 2004.

The applicant was represented by Mr M. Bromley of Lichfield Reynolds in Stoke-on-Trent. The United Kingdom Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agent, Mr J. Grainger, of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

On 16 February 2005 the Court decided to communicate the application to the Government. Under the provisions of Article 29 § 3 of the Convention, it decided to examine the merits of the application at the same time as its admissibility.

THE FACTS

I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE

The applicant was born in 1981 and lives in Stoke-on-Trent.

The applicant was arrested on 14 May 2002 on suspicion of having intimidated witnesses. In an identity parade held the same afternoon, he was positively identified by one of the two witnesses. The applicant states that this witness accepted in her original statement of evidence to the police that she was a heroin user and an inherently unreliable witness. The applicant was subsequently charged with five counts of doing acts tending and intended to pervert the course of public justice.

The applicant pleaded not guilty on 2 August 2002 and the trial was adjourned to the Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on 7 October 2002. On that date no judge was available and the trial was moved to 3 February 2003. On the second day of the trial the witness who had identified the applicant did not attend and the trial had to be aborted. At the re-listed trial on 15 September 2003, Counsel for the Crown addressed the court in the following terms: “When this matter was listed for trial in February, [L.] attended on the first day. She wasn't called to give evidence and didn't come back on the second day. Certainly, that caused some concern. I think it is fair to say, at different stages of the entire case, she has blown slightly hot and cold. [L.] indicated to the police when they contacted her recently and, in fact, again yesterday, that she was reluctant to give evidence. She has attended court today and with my learned friend's permission, I have had the chance to sit down and have a chat to her. Your Honour, the reality is that she does not want to give evidence. She has personal reasons I don't propose to divulge in open court. She has formed a new relationship. She has moved on. She is trying very hard to put the events of this entire case behind her. She has satisfied the police who spoke to her yesterday and satisfied those who instruct me that no threats have been made toward her in relation to today's proceedings. She insists that there has been no contact from [the applicant] or others acting on his behalf. We don't feel that, due to the nature of this allegation, she ought to be compelled to give evidence in this case. Your Honour, there has been a very full discussion and the view we have taken is that without her evidence, plainly, we can't proceed. I offer no evidence. Verdicts must follow.”

The applicant was duly acquitted. On his counsel's application for a defendant's costs order, the judge refused to make an order and stated: “That order will be refused. There is clear evidence on the court papers. The Crown have taken the view that they are not going to compel this witness although there is compelling evidence in respect of those matters. It is a discretion which I am afraid I am not going to exercise in your favour.”

The applicant's attempted appeal was dismissed on 14 November 2003 as “to be appealable as a sentence, the order must be contingent upon conviction. As the defendant's costs order only arises when a prosecution is unsuccessful, it cannot be a sentence and cannot be appealed at the Court of Appeal Criminal Division”.