8 HOVHANNISYAN v. ARMENIA JUDGMENT C. Civil Service Act (adopted on 4 December 2001) 38. According to section 32 of the Act, “1. In the event of ... abuse of authority, breach of internal disciplinary rules ... the following disciplinary penalties may be applied in respect of a civil servant: a) warning; b) reprimand; c) strict reprimand; d) salary reduction ... ; e) dismissal ... ; f) lowering of civil service higher rank ... 2. Prior to the application of a disciplinary penalty, the competent official shall require the civil servant who has committed the disciplinary breach to provide a written explanation. ... 4. In cases and procedure provided by the Civil Service Council, the disciplinary penalties set out in the first paragraph of this section are applied after an internal investigation has been conducted. ...” THE LAW I. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 3 OF THE CONVENTION 39. The applicant complained under Article 3 of the Convention that she had been deliberately ill-treated in the workplace by her superiors, who were public servants, and that the authorities had failed to carry out an effective investigation into the matter. 40. Article 3 of the Convention reads as follows: “No one shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” 41. The Government contested that argument. A. Admissibility 42. The Court notes that the application is not manifestly ill-founded within the meaning of Article 35 § 3 (a) of the Convention. It further notes that it is not inadmissible on any other grounds. It must therefore be declared admissible.