APPLICATION/REQUETE N° 9250/8 1 X, v/the NETHERLAND S X . c/PAYS-BAS DECISION of 3 May 1983 on the admissibility of the application DECISION du 3 mai 1983 sur la recevabilité de la requêt e Article 3 of the First Protocol : A practise according to which reference is made to the husband's name in the registration of a married woman on the electoral list does not constitute an interference with the right contained in this provision . Article 14 of the Convention, in coqjunction wilh Article 3 of the First Protocol : The requirement that registration of married woman on the electornl list rnakes reference to their husbands' name, while the registration of married man does not reflect their married status, is not discriminatory . Article 3 du Protocole additionnel : Ne constitue pas une restriction de l'exercice des droits reconnus par cette disposition la régle selon laquelle l'inscription des électrices mariées au registre électoral mentionne le nom de leur mari. Article 14 de la Convention, combiné avec l'article 3 du Protocole additionnel : Ne constitue pas une discrimination l'inscription des électrices mariées au registre électoral avec mention du nom de leur mari, alors que !'inscriptiorr des électeurs ne reflète pas leur statut marital. Summary of the facts (français : voir p. 178) The municipal authorities of the applicant's* place of residence refused the applicant's request to be listed on the electoral register under her maiden name onlv. she being registered under the name of her husband followed by her maiden name . • The applicanl was represented before the Commission by Mr Erik Hummels . a laxyer praclising in Utrecht . - 175 - The district court, to which the applicant had appealed, considered this situation to be in conformity with the law . In fact, Article D 4, paragraph 2 of the Elections Act of 6 November 1 979 provides that married women are registered either under their husband's rmme followed by "bani ... ( maiden name)". or under their .nmiden nanie jollowed - by `wije oj . . . (husband's name)". Moreover, A rticle 9 of the Civil Code provides that married women may caring their husband's name followed by their maiden name, if they so wish . The Supreme Coun rejected â plea ofnul(ity against this decision . THE LAW The applicant considers that Article 4 D, paragraph 2 of the Netherlands Elections Act(Kieswet) according to which married women are mentioned on the electoral list with reference to their husband's name, constitutes unjustified discrimination based on sex, since the marital status of men is not reflected on that list. She invokes Article 3 of the First Protocol in conjunction with Article 14 of the Convention . Article 3 of the Fitst Protocol provides as follows : "The High Contracting Par ties ûndertake to hold free elections at reasonable intervals by sec ret ballot, under çonditions which will ensure the free expression of the opinion of_ the . people in the choice of the legislature . " In its case-Iaw the Commission has established that this provisiori recognised the p rinciple of universal su ffrage and, in this context, individual rights, namely the right to vote and the right to stand for election in the legislature. However this right is neither absolute nor without limitations but subject to such res trictions imposed by the Contracting States as are not arbitrary and do not interfere with the free expression of the people's opinion (cf. Application No. 7730/76, D.R._ 15, p. 137 with fu rther referencés). The Commission finds however that the relevant legal provision and the practice based thereupon cannot be considered as constituting a restriction of the rights under A rticle 3 of the First Protocol but merely a modality of its exercise . The Commission finds therefore that Article 3 of the First Protocol has not been interfered with .. - 5 The Commission recalls however that a measure which in itself is in conformity with the requirements of the a rticle enshrining a right or freedom mav int}inge this article when read in conjunction with Article 14 for the reason that it is of a disc riminato ry nature (cf. Belgian Linguistic ' case, judgment of 23 July 1968, Series A, p . 33) . - 176 - In regard to the claim of the applicant that the distinction in the law between married women and married men in these modalities is discriminatory in the sense of Article 14 of the Convention, the Commission considers that the distinction pursues a legitimate aim and is not a disproportionate means of achieving it . The Commission observes in this respect that the system opted for in the Elections Act is consistent with the provisions of the Netherlands Civil Code . Moreover, it appears from the judgment of the Supreme Court of 8 October 1980 that the ntajority of married women in the Netherlands bear their husband's name and are designated as such. It therefore also reflects a reality of the contemporary Netherlands society . Moreover, the Commission observes that the electoral register has mainly an administrative function and does not, as such, directly affect the popu- lation . In this context the Commission refers also to the declaration ofthe Minister for the Interior in reply to a written parliamentary question of 21 November 1980 in which he observed that the above legislation does not affect the municipal authorities' freedom to take into account some married women's desire to be identified by their maiden name, in the formulation of the convocation sheet for elections. The examination of the complaint therefore does not disclose any appearance of a violation of Article 14 read in conjunction with Article 3 of the First Protocol . It follows that the application is manifestly ill-founded within the meaning of Article 27, paragraph 2, of the Convention . For these reasons, the Commission DECLARES THIS APPLICATION INADMISSIBLE - 177 - Résumé des faits La requérante s s'est vu refuser par l'autorité municipale de son domicile son inscription dans le regisn°e électoral sous son seul nom de jeune fille, alors qu'elle y figure sous le nom de son mari suivi de son nom de jeune fille . Saisi d'un recours, le tribunal d'instance a trouvé la décision municipale conforme à la loi. En effet, l'article D 4, paragraphe 2, de la loi du 6 no- vembre 1979 sur les élections prévoit que les électrices mariées sont inscrites soit sous le nom de leur mari, suivi de . née .. . (nom de jeune'fille) ., soit sous (erir nom de jeune fille suivi de •épouse . . . (nom du mart) .. En outre, l'ar- ticle 9 du Code civil prévoit que les femmes mariées peuvent porter le nom de leur mari suivi de leur nom de jeune fille si elles le désirent . - La Cour suprême a rejeté un recoûrs en cassation de la requérante contre cetle décision. - - " (TRADUCTION) EN DROIT La requérante estime que l'article 4 D, paragraphe 2 de la loi sur les élections aux Pays-Bas (Kieswet), prévoyant que les femmes mariées figurent sur la liste électorale par référence au nom de leur époux, constitue une dis- crimination fondée sur le sexe puisque la situation de famille des personnes de sexe masculin n'apparait pas sur la liste. Elle invoque l'article 3 du Protocole additionnel, en combinaison avec l'article 14 de la Convention . L'article 3 du Protocole additionnel est ainsi libellé : • Les Hautes Parties Contractantes s'engagent à organiser, à des inter- valles raisonnables, des élections libres au scrutin secret, dans les condi- tions qui assurent la libre expression de l'opinion du peuple sur le choix du corps législatif . . Dans sa jurisprudence, la Commission a établi que cette disposition im- plique une reconnaissance du principe du suffrage universel et, dans cette matière, de droits individuels, à savoir le droit de vote et le droit de se pré- senter aux élections législatives . Cependant, ce droit n'est pas absolu ni exempt-de limitation ; il est, en fait soumis aux restrictions imposées par les Parties Contractantes pour autant que ces restrictions ne sont pas arbitraires • La requérante était représentée devant la Commission par M• Erik Hûmmels . avocat à Utr