Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights: A Practitioner’s Handbook At this stage of the proceedings the scope of the case will have been determined by the Court’s admissibility decision; that is to say, if only some of the complaints have been declared admissible, the applicant should not address the complaints declared inadmissible in his or her observations on the merits. Further observations on the merits give the applicant a final opportunity to support his or her case with adequate evidence and argumentation. For this reason, applicants are advised to avail themselves of this opportunity even if the Court does not specifically require further observations at this stage. 2.1.17 Hearings The Chamber and the Grand Chamber may hold hearings on the admissibility and/ or the merits of cases in Strasbourg. Although it is the Court’s practice to ask the parties whether they would want an oral hearing of the case, hearings are held in very few cases only. The Court usually decides to hold hearings if it needs further clarification or if the case is of special legal or political importance. Prior to hearings, the Registry issues a press release that informs on the date of the hearing. Since 2007, hearings can also be followed online. The Court publishes webcasts of hearings on its webpage.133 Such hearings require the attendance of the parties or their representatives and sometimes also the attendance of witnesses and experts. Prior to a hearing, the Court asks the applicant’s representative to submit his or her oral statement in writing in order to provide translations. Such a pre-submission of the oral statement is not mandatory but advisable for the facilitation of translations. The Court also asks the applicant’s representative to provide a full list of names of persons who will attend the hearing on the applicant’s behalf. As described above, the Court requires that a lawyer represent the applicant. The Court may also allow the applicant to make additional statements on his or her own behalf.134 On the day of the hearing, the President of the relevant Chamber will usually hold a short informal meeting informing the parties about the procedures. At the hearing, the applicant’s representative is usually given 30 minutes to present his or her oral arguments, followed by a 30 minute response by the Government. The adherence to the given time limit is crucial as the President of the Chamber may stop the speaker after 30 minutes. In an oral submission, the applicant’s representative will complement the written submission and where applicable address specific questions the Court sent them prior the hearing. After the oral arguments, judges may ask questions. Sometimes, the Court adjourns the meeting for ten to 15 minutes 133 European Court of Human Rights, Webcasts of Hearings, available at: http://www.echr.coe.int/ Pages/home.aspx?p=hearings. 134 See e.g. Hartman v. the Czech Republic, no. 53341/99, 10 July 2003, § 8. 62