RICE v. THE UNITED KINGDOM - 65905/01

The European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section), sitting as a Chamber composed of:

The case originated in an application (no. 65905/01) 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, Alan John Rice (“the applicant”), on 4 December 2000.

The applicant was represented by Mr P. Robinson, of Bebington Citizens Advice Bureau. The United Kingdom Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agent, Mr C.A. Whomersley, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, London.

The applicant complained that United Kingdom social security legislation discriminated against him and his late wife on grounds of his sex, in breach of Article 14 of the Convention taken in conjunction with both Article 8 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1.

On 19 February 2002, after obtaining the parties' observations, the Court declared admissible that part of the application concerning discrimination alleged to have been suffered by the applicant during the period after his claim for widows' benefits in June 2000. The remainder of the applicant's complaints were declared inadmissible on the same date.