Information Note on the Court’s case-law No. 173
April 2014
Dvorski v. Croatia (referral) - 25703/11
Judgment 28.11.2013 [Section I]
Article 6
Article 6-3-c
Defence through legal assistance
Alleged denial of access to lawyer of applicant’s own choosing: case referred to the Grand Chamber
The case concerns the alleged unfairness of criminal proceedings in which the applicant was convicted of aggravated murder, armed robbery and arson and sentenced to forty years’ imprisonment. Relying in particular on Article 6 §§ 1 and 3 (c) of the Convention, the applicant essentially complained that, following his arrest, the police had denied him access to the lawyer hired by his parents to represent him, that he had therefore had to accept the services of a lawyer called in by the police and that, questioned in a coercive environment, he had been forced to incriminate himself without the benefit of a lawyer of his own choice.
In a judgment of 28 November 2013 a Chamber of the Court held, by five votes to two, that there had been no violation of Article 6 §§ 1 and 3 (c) of the Convention.
On 14 April 2014 the case was referred to the Grand Chamber at the applicant’s request.
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This summary by the Registry does not bind the Court.
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