2 A. AND OTHERS v. THE UNITED KINGDOM JUDGMENT 4. The application was allocated to the Fourth Section of the Court (Rule 52 § 1). On 11 September 2007 a Chamber of that Section, composed of Josep Casadevall, Nicolas Bratza, Giovanni Bonello, Kristaq Traja, Stanislav Pavlovschi, Lech Garlicki, Ljiljana Mijović, judges, and Lawrence Early, Section Registrar, relinquished jurisdiction in favour of the Grand Chamber, neither of the parties having objected to relinquishment (Article 30 of the Convention and Rule 72). 5. The composition of the Grand Chamber was determined according to the provisions of Article 27 §§ 2 and 3 of the Convention and Rule 24. 6. The applicants and the Government each filed observations on the merits. In addition, third-party comments were received from two Londonbased non-governmental organisations, Liberty and Justice, which had been given leave by the President to intervene in the written procedure (Article 36 § 2 of the Convention and Rule 44 § 2). 7. A hearing took place in public in the Human Rights Building, Strasbourg, on 21 May 2008 (Rule 59 § 3). There appeared before the Court: (a) for the Government Mr D. WALTON, Mr P. SALES QC, Ms C. IVIMY, Mr S. BRAVINER-ROMAN, Ms K. CHALMERS, Mr E. ADAMS, Mr J. ADUTT, Mr L. SMITH, (b) for the applicants Ms G. PIERCE, Ms M. WILLIS STEWART, Mr D. GUEDALLA, Mr B. EMMERSON QC, Mr R. HUSAIN, Mr D. FRIEDMAN, Agent, Counsel, Advisers; Solicitors, Counsel. The Court heard addresses by Mr Emmerson and Mr Sales and their answers in reply to questions put by the Court.