FIRST SECTION
DECISION
This version was rectified on 20 December 2019
under Rule 81 of the Rules of Court.
Application no. 80046/17
A and B
against the United Kingdom
The European Court of Human Rights (First Section), sitting on 26 November 2019 as a Committee composed of:
Aleš Pejchal, President,
Tim Eicke,
Raffaele Sabato, judges,
and Renata Degener, Deputy Section Registrar,
Having regard to the above application lodged on 9 November 2017,
Having regard to the formal declarations accepting a friendly settlement of the case,
Having deliberated, decides as follows:
FACTS AND PROCEDURE
1. The applicants, A and B, are British nationals who were born in 1996 and 1974 respectively. The President granted the applicants’ request for their identity not to be disclosed to the public (Rule 47 § 4). They were represented before the Court by Ms A. Jackman of Simpson Millar LLP, a lawyer practising in London.
2. The Government of the United Kingdom (“the Government”) were represented by their Agent, Mr S. Linehan of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
3. The applicants complained that the restriction on access to abortion in Northern Ireland had violated their rights under Article 14 of the Convention read together with Article 8 of the Convention since the first applicant had to pay to have an abortion in England while women resident in England, Scotland and Wales were able to have abortions free of charge through the National Health Service.[1]
4. On 8 October 2019 the Government notified the Court that the parties had agreed a friendly settlement and informed the Court of its contents.[2]
5. By letter dated 10 October 2019 the applicants confirmed that they had agreed to the friendly settlement.
THE LAW
6. The Court takes note of the friendly settlement reached between the parties. It is satisfied that the settlement is based on respect for human rights as defined in the Convention and its Protocols and finds no reasons to justify a continued examination of the application. In view of the above, it is appropriate to strike the case out of the list.
For these reasons, the Court, unanimously,
Decides to strike the application out of its list of cases in accordance with Article 39 of the Convention.
Done in English and notified in writing on 19 December 2019.
Renata DegenerAleš Pejchal
Deputy RegistrarPresident
[1] Rectified on 20 December 2019: The date after the last sentence was removed.
[2] Rectified on 20 December 2019.
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