It appears the government's reluctance to make a s 19 (1)(a) statement was due to the
European Court of Human Rights» (ECtHR) decision in VgT
Verein gegen Tierfabriken v Switzerland (2001) 34 EHRR 159.
There had been, in 2001, a decision by the
European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) regarding an outwardly similar prohibition on political advertising in the broadcasting law of Switzerland, in which the ECtHR had unanimously found that the rejection of a television commercial proposed by an animal protection association amounted to a breach of Art 10: Vgt
Verein gegen Tierfabriken v Switzerland (Application 24699 / 94)(2002) 34 EHRR 4.