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No. 25/99 Date: 18 February 1999 EURO VOTE CASE Gibraltar has won the Euro Vote case before the full European Court of Human Rights by 15 votes to 2. The Court has found that the United Kingdom is in violation of the European Convention of Human Rights as a result of its failure to make arrangements to enable the people of Gibraltar to vote at elections for the European Parliament. The Court has found that legislation made by the European Community affects the people of Gibraltar and that the very essence of the Gibraltarians right to vote to choose that legislature as guaranteed under Article 3 of Protocol I of the European Convention of Human Rights had been denied and that this is a violation of that Convention and contrary to effective political democracy. The Court has also awarded damages of approximately GBP 45,000 by way of fees and expenses. The Government wishes to congratulate Michael Llamas who is now the Director of the Gibraltar Government office in Brussels for his successful conduct of this case, the result of which has enormous significance rot just for Europe as a whole but also for the whole issue of Gibraltar's status within the European Community far beyond the question of voting rights.
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