RAMADAN v. MALTA JUDGMENT 1 In the case of Ramadan v. Malta, The European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section), sitting as a Chamber composed of: András Sajó, President, Boštjan M. Zupančič, Paulo Pinto de Albuquerque, Krzysztof Wojtyczek, Egidijus Kūris, Gabriele Kucsko-Stadlmayer, judges, David Scicluna, ad hoc judge, and Marialena Tsirli, Section Registrar, Having deliberated in private on 24 May 2016, Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date: PROCEDURE 1. The case originated in an application (no. 76136/12) against the Republic of Malta lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) by Mr Louay Ramadan (“the applicant”), on 21 November 2012. Currently the applicant appears to be stateless. He was originally an Egyptian citizen. He obtained authorisation to renounce his Egyptian citizenship after acquiring Maltese citizenship following his marriage to a Maltese citizen. 2. The applicant was represented by Prof. I. Refalo and Dr S. Grech, lawyers practising in Valletta. The Maltese Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agent, Dr P. Grech, Attorney General. 3. The applicant alleged that the order depriving him of his Maltese citizenship amounted to a breach of his Article 8 rights. 4. On 6 November 2014 the complaint concerning Article 8 was communicated to the Government and the remainder of the application was declared inadmissible pursuant to Rule 54 § 3 of the Rules of Court. 5. Mr Vincent A. De Gaetano, the judge elected in respect of Malta, was unable to sit in the case (Rule 28). Accordingly, the President decided to appoint Mr David Scicluna to sit as an ad hoc judge (Rule 29 § 1(b)).