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European Court of Human Rights
You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> European Court of Human Rights >> BODÉN v. SWEDEN - 10930/84 [1987] ECHR 26 (27 October 1987)
URL: http://www.bailii.org/eu/cases/ECHR/1987/26.html
Cite as: (1988) 10 EHRR 367, [1987] ECHR 26
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In the Bodén case*,
_______________
* Note by the registry: The case is numbered 18/1986/116/164. The
second figure indicates the year in which the case was referred to the
Court and the first figure its place on the list of cases referred in
that year; the last two figures indicate, respectively, the case's
order on the list of cases and of originating applications (to the
Commission) referred to the Court since its creation.
_______________
The European Court of Human Rights, sitting, in accordance with
Article 43 (art. 43) of the Convention for the Protection of Human
Rights and Fundamental Freedoms ("the Convention") and the relevant
provisions of the Rules of Court, as a Chamber composed of the
following judges:
Mr. R. Ryssdal, President,
Mr. G. Lagergren,
Mr. F. Gölcüklü,
Mr. L-E. Pettiti,
Mr. R. Macdonald,
Mr. R. Bernhardt,
Mr. J. De Meyer,
and also of Mr. M.-A. Eissen, Registrar, and Mr. H. Petzold,
Deputy Registrar,
Having deliberated in private on 25 March and 24 September 1987,
Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on the
last-mentioned date:
PROCEDURE
1. The case was referred to the Court by the European Commission
of Human Rights ("the Commission") on 18 July 1986, within the
three-month period laid down by Article 32 § 1 and Article 47
(art. 32-1, art. 47) of the Convention. The case originated in an
application (no. 10930/84) against the Kingdom of Sweden lodged with
the Commission on 10 January 1984 under Article 25 (art. 25) by a
Swedish citizen, Mr. Gunnar Bodén.
The Commission's request referred to Articles 44 and 48 (art. 44,
art. 48) and to the declaration whereby Sweden recognised the
compulsory jurisdiction of the Court (Article 46) (art. 46). The
purpose of the request was to obtain a decision as to whether the
facts of the case disclosed a breach by the respondent State of its
obligations under Article 6 § 1 (art. 6-1) of the Convention.
2. In response to the inquiry made in accordance with
Rule 33 § 3 (d) of the Rules of Court, the applicant stated that he
did not wish to take part in the proceedings pending before the Court.
3. The Chamber of seven judges to be constituted included, as ex
officio members, Mr. G. Lagergren, the elected judge of Swedish
nationality (Article 43 of the Convention) (art. 43), and
Mr. R. Ryssdal, the President of the Court (Rule 21 § 3 (b)).
On 26 September 1986, the President drew by lot, in the presence of
the Registrar, the names of the five other members, namely
Mr. F. Gölcüklü, Mr. L.-E. Pettiti, Mr. R. Bernhardt, Mr. A.M. Donner
and Mr. J. De Meyer (Article 43 in fine of the Convention and
Rule 21 § 4) (art. 43). Mr. R. Macdonald, substitute judge,
subsequently replaced Mr. Donner, who was prevented from taking part
in the consideration of the case (Rules 22 § 1 and 24 § 1).
4. The Swedish Government ("the Government") informed the
Registrar on 29 October 1986 that negotiations were being conducted
with the applicant with a view to arriving at a friendly settlement
and then, on 4 February 1987, that the negotiations had proved
unsuccessful.
5. Mr. Ryssdal, who had assumed the office of President of the
Chamber (Rule 21 § 5), ascertained, through the Registrar, the views
of the Agent of the Government and the Delegate of the Commission
regarding the need for a written procedure. Having regard to their
concurring statements, he decided on 26 February 1987 that it was not
necessary for memorials to be filed (Rule 37 § 1) and directed that
the oral proceedings should open on 23 March 1987 (Rule 38).
Prior to that, on 12 and 18 February, the applicant had lodged claims
for just satisfaction under Article 50 (art. 50) (Rule 49 taken
together with Rule 1 (k)). He provided further particulars of these
claims on 24 April at the request of the President.
6. The hearing was held in public at the Human Rights Building,
Strasbourg, on the appointed day. Immediately before it opened, the
Court had held a preparatory meeting.
There appeared before the Court:
- for the Government
Mr. H. Corell, Ambassador, Under-Secretary for Legal
and Consular Affairs, Ministry for
Foreign Affairs, Agent,
Mr. P. Löfmarck, Under-Secretary for Legal Affairs,
Ministry of Transport and Communications,
Mr. H. Berglin, Legal Adviser, Ministry for Foreign
Affairs, Advisers;
- for the Commission
Mr. Gaukur Jörundsson, Delegate.
The Court heard addresses by Mr. Corell for the Government and
by Mr. Gaukur Jörundsson for the Commission, as well as their replies
to the questions put by the Court and several judges.
AS TO THE FACTS
I. Particular circumstances of the case
7. The applicant, Mr. Gunnar Bodén, was born in 1939. He is a
Swedish citizen resident in Falun and a car driver by profession. He
owned, together with his brother Mr. B. Bodén, the properties
Källviken 1:18, 1:25 and 1:26.
8. On 30 June 1977, the Falun Municipal Council
(kommunfullmäktige) adopted an area plan (områdesplan) with a view to
the development of a housing estate in an area including the
applicant's properties. On 9 February 1978, the Municipal Council
decided to apply to the Government for an expropriation permit for
this area.
9. The applicant objected to the expropriation in respect of two
of the three properties concerned, because, as he submitted to the
Government, he doubted that they were needed for the development
contemplated and, further, he wanted to live with his mother in his
parents' home situated on one of the properties. He claimed that,
when working out and adopting the area plan, the Municipal Council had
not taken his interests sufficiently into account, something that
would have been possible within the framework of a somewhat modified
plan. However, the Government, taking the view that the Municipal
Council had shown the need to include the applicant's properties,
concluded that the conditions laid down in the Expropriation Act 1972
(expropriationslagen 1972:719 - "the 1972 Act") were satisfied.
On 1 March 1979, they issued an expropriation permit.
10. The decision indicated that the issue of the permit had to be
followed by the institution of proceedings by the Municipality before
a real estate court not later than 3 March 1980. An action, the
object of which was to settle the terms of the expropriation (see
paragraph 15 below), was commenced on 28 February 1980 before the Real
Estate Court at the Falun District Court (tingsrätten).
11. The applicant, his brother and the Municipality were involved
in negotiations for a settlement until 2 July 1984. On that date,
before the main hearings started, they finally concluded an agreement:
the applicant and his brother were to sell the properties to the
Municipality, which was to lease back to the applicant for a period of
five years, with a possibility of prolongation, a house situated
thereon. On 17 August, the Real Estate Court struck the case off its
list since, as a result of the settlement, the Municipality had
withdrawn its claim for expropriation.
12. On 17 December 1986, after the present case had been brought
before the European Court of Human Rights, the Municipality of Falun
concluded an agreement with the applicant for the repurchase by him of
the properties for 235,000 Swedish crowns, the same amount as it had
paid for them in 1984.
II. Relevant domestic law
A. Town-planning law
13. The Building Act 1947 (byggnadslagen 1947:385 - "the
1947 Act") is the main legal instrument governing planning in respect of
the use of land for construction and urban development. It provides
for the drawing up of a master plan (generalplan), which establishes
within a municipality the framework for other and more detailed plans,
namely city plans (stadsplaner) and building plans (byggnadsplaner).
As in the present case, a municipal council may draw up an area plan,
instead of a master plan. The manner in which area plans are
elaborated and their content are not expressly governed by the 1947
Act but general principles of administrative law are, of course,
applicable.
B. Legislation on the issue of expropriation permits
14. The issue of expropriation permits is governed by the
1972 Act. Under Chapter 3, section 1, such a permit is normally
granted by the Government.
For cases like the present, the grounds justifying the issue of a
permit are stated in Chapter 2, section 1, of the 1972 Act (as amended
by the Act of 1976:46), which reads as follows (translation from
Swedish):
"Expropriation is allowed in order to enable a municipality to acquire
rights over land which is needed, as a result of future societal
requirements, for urban development (tätbebyggelse) or constructions
in connection with such development. ... Within areas of urban
development expropriation is allowed only if there is reason to assume
that, within a foreseeable time, the area will be subject to building
or other construction activities which are deemed important in the
general interest, or if there is an urgent necessity for the
municipality to acquire rights over the land for the furthering of
planned building or for any other similar reason. ..."
However, a permit must not be granted if the purpose of the
expropriation can be attained by other appropriate means, or if the
disadvantages of the expropriation would outweigh, from general and
individual points of view, its advantages (Chapter 2, section 12, of
the 1972 Act).
15. Under Chapter 3, section 4, of the 1972 Act, the sole effect
in law of the issue of an expropriation permit is to confer on its
holder an entitlement to acquire the designated property.
Consequently, the issue of a permit leaves legally intact the owner's
right to use, sell, let or mortgage his property (see also
paragraph 17 below), and does not automatically lead to expropriation.
Before the expropriation can be finalised, its terms - such as the
compensation to be paid to the owner and the boundaries of the
expropriated area - have to be settled in proceedings before a real
estate court. Moreover, the expropriation is not completed until the
compensation - in principle equivalent to the market value - has been
paid.
16. The proceedings before the real estate court have to be
instituted by the holder of the permit within the time-limit which it
specifies, failing which the permit will lapse (Chapter 3, section 6,
of the 1972 Act).
The 1972 Act is silent as to the length of this time-limit and as to
the criteria upon which it is to be fixed. However, Chapter 3,
section 6, provides that it may be extended in special circumstances,
or reduced if the owner so requests and establishes that the
inconvenience for him in the expropriation remaining pending has
increased significantly. No decision to reduce the time-limit can be
taken until one year has elapsed since the issue of the expropriation
permit.
17. Some reasons for restricting the time-limit and, hence, the
duration of the validity of expropriation permits were stated in the
Bill 1972:109, page 227, which led to the 1972 Act (translation from
Swedish):
"Naturally, the mere issue of an expropriation permit often places
[the owner] in a state of uncertainty. In practice, his opportunities
for disposing of his property by selling it, assigning the use thereof
or having premises erected thereon are considerably restricted. He
may also have difficulty in deciding whether to incur expenditure on
upkeep or modernisation. The disadvantages resulting from an
expropriation permit are evidently increased if the judicial
proceedings are not set in motion for a long time."
C. Remedies available
18. Generally speaking, the Swedish administration is not subject
to supervision by the ordinary courts. Those courts entertain
proceedings against the State only in contractual matters, on
questions of extra-contractual liability and, under some statutes, in
respect of administrative decisions.
Judicial review of the administration's acts is therefore primarily a
matter for administrative courts. These courts comprise three levels:
the county administrative courts (länsrätterna); the administrative
courts of appeal (kammarrätterna); and the Supreme Administrative
Court (regeringsrätten). They are composed of independent judges and
enjoy, as a rule, wide powers which enable them not only to set aside
administrative acts but also to vary or substitute them. There is,
however, an important exception to this principle, in that no appeal
may be made against decisions of the Government (see paragraph 20
below).
1. Appeals against municipal decisions to adopt an area plan or apply
for an expropriation permit
19. Chapter 7, section, 1 of the Municipal Act of 1977
(kommunallagen 1977:179) provides for and regulates, in a general way,
the right to appeal (kommunalbesvär) against decisions by
municipalities. This Act enables residents of the municipality to
challenge, for instance, a municipal council's decision to adopt an
area plan or apply for an expropriation permit.
At the relevant time, this remedy was exercisable before the County
Administrative Board (länsstyrelsen), but only on the following
grounds: failure to observe the statutory procedures, infringement of
the law, ultra vires conduct, violation of the complainant's own
rights, or other unfairness. The appeal had to be filed within three
weeks from the date on which approval of the minutes of the decision
had been announced on the municipal notice-board. The County
Administrative Board's decision could, within three weeks from its
notification to the complainant, be the subject of an appeal to the
Supreme Administrative Court.
These provisions were slightly amended in 1980, with effect from
1 January 1981, in that the first appeal now has to be made to the
Administrative Court of Appeal and not to the County Administrative
Board.
2. Appeals against a decision to issue an expropriation permit
20. Swedish law contains no provision for appeals to the ordinary
or the administrative courts against the Government's decisions to
issue expropriation permits. Accordingly, such decisions are in
principle not subject to court review.
However, there is a limited possibility to file a petition before the
Supreme Administrative Court for re-opening of the proceedings
(resningsansökan). Further particulars of this remedy appear in the
Sporrong and Lönnroth judgment of 23 September 1982 (Series A no. 52,
pp. 19-20, § 50).
3. Possibilities of compensation for prejudice
21. The 1972 Act does not in principle provide for compensation
for prejudice resulting from the length of the validity of, or failure
to utilise, an expropriation permit. It does, however, contain one
exception (Chapter 5, section 16): compensation is payable for
prejudice occasioned by the issue of an expropriation permit if the
authority or person to whom it was granted has instituted, but
subsequently abandoned, proceedings before a real estate court
(see paragraphs 15-16 above).
22. According to Chapter 3, section 2, of the Civil Liability
Act 1972 (skadeståndslagen 1972:207), acts of public authorities may
give rise to an entitlement to compensation in the event of fault or
negligence. However, under section 7, an action for damages will not
lie in respect of decisions taken by Parliament, the Government, the
Supreme Court, the Supreme Administrative Court or the National Social
Security Court.
PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COMMISSION
23. In his application of 10 January 1984 to the Commission
(no. 10930/84), Mr. Gunnar Bodén complained that the expropriation
permit had been issued in breach of Article 1 of Protocol No. 1
(P1-1) and that he had no possibility of having the dispute relating
to the issue of the permit reviewed by a tribunal satisfying the
requirements of Article 6 § 1 (art. 6-1) of the Convention.
24. On 5 December 1985, the Commission declared admissible the
applicant's complaint under Article 6 § 1 (art. 6-1). The remainder
of the application was declared inadmissible.
In its report of 15 May 1986 (Article 31) (art. 31), the Commission
expressed the unanimous opinion that there had been a breach of
Article 6 § 1 (art. 6-1). The full text of the Commission's opinion
is reproduced as an annex to the present judgment.
FINAL SUBMISSIONS MADE TO THE COURT BY THE GOVERNMENT
25. At the hearing on 23 March 1987, the Government requested the
Court "to find that the complaint falls outside the scope of
Article 6 § 1 (art. 6-1)".
AS TO THE LAW
I. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 6 § 1 (art. 6-1)
26. The applicant complained that he did not have the opportunity
under Swedish law to challenge before a court an expropriation permit
affecting two properties of which he was part-owner (see
paragraphs 7-9 above). He alleged a violation of Article 6 § 1
(art. 6-1) of the Convention, which, so far as is relevant, reads:
"In the determination of his civil rights and obligations ...,
everyone is entitled to a ... hearing ... by [a] ... tribunal ..."
27. In view of the submissions made, the first issue to be
resolved is the applicability of this provision and, more
particularly, whether the instant case involved the "determination" of
a "civil right".
A. Applicability of Article 6 § 1 (art. 6-1)
28. According to the Court's established case-law, Article 6 § 1
(art. 6-1) extends only to "contestations" (disputes) over "civil
rights and obligations" which can be said, at least on arguable
grounds, to be recognised under domestic law; it does not in itself
guarantee any particular content for "civil rights and obligations" in
the substantive law of the Contracting States (see, as the most recent
authority, the W v. the United Kingdom judgment of 8 July 1987,
Series A no. 121, pp. 32-33, § 73).
29. The applicant's right of ownership of the properties in issue
is without doubt - and that was not disputed - a civil right (see,
mutatis mutandis, the Sporrong and Lönnroth judgment of
23 September 1982, Series A no. 52, p. 29, § 79, and the Poiss
judgment of 23 April 1987, Series A no. 117, p. 102, § 48).
30. As to whether there was a "contestation" within the meaning of
Article 6 § 1 (art. 6-1), regard should be had to the principles
enunciated in the Court's case-law, summarised in the Benthem judgment
of 23 October 1985 (Series A no. 97, pp. 14-15, § 32):
(a) Conformity with the spirit of the Convention requires that the
word "contestation" (dispute) should not be construed too technically
and should be given a substantive rather than a formal meaning.
(b) The "contestation" (dispute) may relate not only to the actual
existence of a right but also to its scope or the manner in which it
may be exercised. It may concern both questions of fact and questions
of law.
(c) It must be genuine and of a serious nature.
(d) The expression "contestations sur (des) droits et obligations de
caractère civil" (disputes over civil rights and obligations) covers
all proceedings the result of which is decisive for such rights and
obligations. However, a tenuous connection or remote consequences do
not suffice for Article 6 § 1 (art. 6-1): civil rights and obligations
must be the object - or one of the objects - of the "contestation"
(dispute); the result of the proceedings must be directly decisive for
such a right.
31. The Government maintained that the issue of the expropriation
permit was purely a policy decision and that there was consequently no
genuine "contestation" (dispute) concerning questions of law or of
fact susceptible of judicial assessment; what was involved was rather
an assessment "so far removed from the exercise of the normal judicial
function that the safeguards in Article 6 (art. 6) cannot be taken as
covering resultant disagreements". The Government in this respect
referred to the van Marle and Others judgment of 26 June 1986
(Series A no. 101, p. 12, § 36).
32. The Court does not share this view.
According to his pleadings before the Commission, Mr. Gunnar Bodén's
allegations were, inter alia, that the application of the 1972 Act was
arbitrary in his case and that the responsible authorities had not
properly appreciated the public interest in expropriating his
properties. More importantly, the Government informed the Court that
before the permit was issued, the applicant had submitted arguments
contesting that his properties were needed for the development
contemplated and contending that, when working out and adopting the
area plan, the Municipal Council had not taken his interests
sufficiently into account (see paragraph 9 above). This being so, it
appears that there existed a serious disagreement between
Mr. Gunnar Bodén and the Swedish authorities which raised questions
going to the lawfulness, under the applicable Swedish legislation, of
the issue of the permit (see paragraph 14 above).
Furthermore, the expropriation permit was decisive for the applicant's
property rights. It affected the very substance of ownership in that
it authorised the Municipality of Falun to expropriate at any moment
within the time-limit set in the permit. Mr. Gunnar Bodén's right of
property thereby became precarious and defeasible (see the
above-mentioned Sporrong and Lönnroth judgment, Series A no. 52,
p. 23, § 60).
The objections lodged by the applicant with the Government against the
Municipal Council's request for an expropriation permit thus gave rise
to a "contestation" (dispute) over one of his "civil rights", as those
expressions are understood for the purposes of Article 6 § 1
(art. 6-1). This provision is therefore applicable to the present
case.
B. Compliance with Article 6 § 1 (art. 6-1)
33. The Government admitted, should the Court find Article 6 § 1
(art. 6-1) to be applicable, that the applicant was not afforded the
safeguards it sets out. The Court nevertheless has to ascertain
whether the applicant enjoyed the "right to a court", guaranteed to
him under Article 6 § 1 (art. 6-1) (see the Golder judgment of
21 February 1975, Series A no. 18, p. 18, § 36).
34. The Government pointed out that both the Falun Municipal
Council's decision to adopt an area plan and its decision to request
an expropriation permit could be challenged before the County
Administrative Board and, subsequently, the Supreme Administrative
Court (see paragraph 19 above). However, these two decisions were only
preparatory steps which, in themselves, did not at that stage
interfere with the applicant's civil rights (see the above-mentioned
Sporrong and Lönnroth judgment, Series A no. 52, pp. 30-31, § 85).
This being so, the Court finds no reason to undertake a further
examination of these remedies.
35. The Government's decision as to the issue of the permit was
not open to appeal before either the ordinary or the administrative
courts, or before any other body which could be considered to be a
"tribunal" for the purposes of Article 6 § 1 (art. 6-1) (see
paragraphs 18 and 20 above).
Admittedly, the applicant could have challenged the lawfulness of such
a decision by requesting the Supreme Administrative Court to re-open
the proceedings. However, this extraordinary remedy does not, for the
reasons set out in the above-mentioned Sporrong and Lönnroth judgment
(p.31, § 86), meet the requirements of Article 6 § 1 (art. 6-1).
36. Nor would the requirements of Article 6 § 1 (art. 6-1)
have been satisfied by any possibility which the applicant might have
had of seeking compensation for prejudice (see paragraphs 21-22
above). Such an action would have concerned only certain effects of
the expropriation permit and would not have determined the lawfulness
of its issue.
C. Conclusion
37. There was accordingly a violation of Article 6 § 1 (art. 6-1).
II. APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 50 (art. 50)
38. Article 50 (art. 50) of the Convention provides:
"If the Court finds that a decision or a measure taken by a legal
authority or any other authority of a High Contracting Party is
completely or partially in conflict with the obligations arising from
the ... Convention, and if the internal law of the said Party allows
only partial reparation to be made for the consequences of this
decision or measure, the decision of the Court shall, if necessary,
afford just satisfaction to the injured party."
In letters received on 12 and 18 February 1987, the applicant sought
by way of just satisfaction financial compensation for prejudice
allegedly suffered and reimbursement of costs and expenses incurred.
At the hearing on 23 March 1987, the Government stated that the
applicant had not provided the Court with any precise information as
to damage. As to his costs and expenses, they suggested that the
Court should ask him to furnish further particulars, which he did on
24 April 1987. The Government and the Commission have not submitted
any further comments.
The Court considers that in the circumstances the question of just
satisfaction is ready for decision (Rule 53 § 1 of the Rules of
Court).
A. Damage
39. The applicant claimed 100,000 Swedish crowns (SEK) as
compensation for pecuniary damage attributable to the increase in
building costs over ten years.
The Government disputed that any issue of compensation for pecuniary
damage arose in the present case under Article 50 (art. 50).
40. The breach found by the Court consists of the absence of a
court remedy for the applicant to challenge the lawfulness of the
issue of the expropriation permit.
However, the applicant has not adduced sufficient evidence to
establish that, had such a remedy been available to him, the domestic
court would have arrived at a decision in his favour. Neither is it
for the Court to inquire into the merits, under Swedish law, of the
issue of the permit.
It must also be observed that the parties concerned finally reached
agreement as to the transfer of the properties in 1984 and as to their
re-purchase in 1986.
Consequently, the Court sees no cause to award the applicant any
compensation in respect of pecuniary damage.
41. The applicant also sought 85,000 SEK for non-pecuniary damage.
As regards this claim, the Court shares the view of the Commission and
the Government that, in the particular circumstances, the finding of a
violation constitutes in itself adequate just satisfaction for the
purposes of Article 50 (art. 50).
B. Costs and expenses
42. The applicant claimed:
(a) 5,400 SEK in respect of legal fees referable to the Strasbourg
proceedings;
(b) 7,000 SEK for miscellaneous expenses (translation, typing,
telephone, postage, etc.);
(c) 7,710 SEK for the costs of registering ownership of the
re-purchased properties;
(d) 2,000 SEK for loss of earnings occasioned by his having been
obliged to visit the offices of various Swedish authorities;
(e) 7,000 SEK for his own work in preparing the case.
The Government expressed their readiness to reimburse, in the event of
the Court finding a violation of the Convention, all costs and
expenses reasonably incurred by the applicant in connection with his
case.
43. (a) It was not disputed, and the Court considers, that the
legal fees claimed were actually and necessarily incurred and
reasonable as to quantum (see, inter alia, the Zimmermann and Steiner
judgment of 13 July 1983, Series A no. 66, p. 14, § 36).
(b) Although the applicant did not supply any vouchers, the Court is
also satisfied that he incurred certain miscellaneous expenses with a
view to obtaining redress of the violation by the Convention
institutions. It finds it equitable to award 3,500 SEK under this
head.
(c) On the other hand, the costs of registering ownership of the
re-purchased properties are not attributable to the absence of a court
remedy. There is consequently no causal link between the violation
found by the Court and these costs.
(d) It has not been established that there is a sufficient connection
between the visits alleged to have occasioned a loss of earnings and
the matter held by the Court in the present judgment to be in breach
of Article 6 § 1 (art. 6-1).
(e) Since the applicant was assisted by a lawyer before the
Commission and did not take part in the proceedings before the Court
(see paragraph 2 above), the Court does not consider that the item of
7,000 SEK claimed for his own work can be regarded as "necessary" for
the purposes of Article 50 (art. 50).
Mr. Gunnar Bodén is consequently entitled to be reimbursed, for costs
and expenses, the sum of 8,900 SEK, from which must be deducted the
amount of 3,410 French francs already paid in respect of legal costs
by the Council of Europe.
FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT UNANIMOUSLY
1. Holds that Article 6 § 1 (art. 6-1) applied in the instant case;
2. Holds that Article 6 § 1 (art. 6-1) has been violated;
3. Holds that the respondent State is to pay to the applicant in
respect of costs and expenses the sum of 8,900 (eight thousand nine
hundred) Swedish crowns, less 3,410 (three thousand four hundred and
ten) French francs to be converted into Swedish crowns at the rate
applicable on the date of delivery of the present judgment;
4. Rejects the remainder of the claim for just satisfaction.
Done in English and in French, and delivered at a public hearing in
the Human Rights Building, Strasbourg, on 27 October 1987.
Signed: Rolv RYSSDAL
President
Signed: Marc-André EISSEN
Registrar
In accordance with Article 51 § 2 (art. 51-2) of the Convention and
Rule 52 § 2 of the Rules of Court, the separate opinion of
Mr. De Meyer, joined by Mr. Pettiti, is annexed to the present
judgment.
Initialled: R.R.
Initialled: M.-A.E.
SEPARATE OPINION OF JUDGE DE MEYER JOINED BY JUDGE PETTITI
My remarks concerning paragraphs 30 and 31 of the judgment of today's
date in the Pudas case (1) also apply to paragraphs 28 and 30 of the
judgment in the present case.
The reasons set forth in paragraphs 29 and 32 of the present judgment
suffice to establish that "the instant case involved the
'determination' of a 'civil right'" (2). Those in paragraph 32
furthermore suffice to establish, as far as necessary, that there was
a dispute ("contestation") concerning that right.
_______________
(1) Judgment of today, Series A no. 125-A, p. 21.
(2) Paragraph 27 in fine of the judgment, p. 39 above.
_______________