0002 1g
81.The Court reiterates that the right for the Applicant to have his cause heard
requires that he should be entitled to take part in all proceedings, and to adduce
his arguments and evidence in accordance with the adversarial principle. However,
the individual as was the case here, has the right to choose whether or not to take
part in proceedings, provided this waiver is unequivocally established.l2
82. The record before this Court indicates that the Applicant took part in his trial before
the District Court and the proceedings before the Court of Appeal. ln contrast,
when the Parties were summoned for the hearing of the appeal before the High
Court, the Applicant and his two co-accused reportedly indicated that they had no
intention to appear - a statement which the Applicant did not challenge given that,
in his Reply, he had stated that he had taken note of the Respondent State's
observations in this regard.
83. The Applicant having refused to appear before the Court, the Court in conclusion
holds that the hearing before the High Court in the absence of the Applicant does
not constitute a violation of his right to have his cause heard.
84.
On the Applicant's allegation that he was not heard on account of the Court of
Appeal adjudicating on the matter without the original record of proceedings, the
Court holds that whereas, in every procedure, original documents constitute crucial
and precious evidence in the determination of a case, such that the non-existence
of such documents can cast serious doubt on the fairness of the case, the fact
remains that it is possible to reconstitute the whole record or parts thereof.
85. ln the instant case, it is apparent from the records before this Court that in order
to lodge the Applicant's appeal at the Court of Appeal, his case file was
reconstituted from the High Court's Judgment and the notes taken at the hearing
before that Court. The Applicant challenges the authenticity of the reconstituted
record without proof as to how the reconstituted elements lack credibility.
Sejdovic v. ltaly no. 56581/00, S 39, ECHR 2004-ll; or poitrimot v. France no. j4O32tgg, S33, ECHR
993-il
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