"Peace Tax Seven" In UK Told To Go To Strasbourg

In England, a group of conscientious objectors known as the "peace tax seven" have been trying to get the Treasury to stop using their tax money for military spending. (Full text of letters between Treasury and protesters.) (Text of plaintiffs' petition in the Administrative court.) Appearing in the Royal Courts of Justice , attorneys for the protesters argued that refusal to set up a special account for the protesters' tax payments violated the European Convention on Human Rights. According to a report in today's Guardian, Mr. Justice Collins said that the former European Commission on Human Rights had decided the issue against conscientious objectors two decades ago. Any reconsideration would require a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. In order to expedite the parties' exhaustion of domestic courts before filing in the European Court, Justice Collins refused the seven leave to seek judicial review.