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Cite as: [2006] ECHR 1102

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THIRD SECTION

CASE OF MARIČ v. SLOVENIA

(Application no. 35489/02)

JUDGMENT

STRASBOURG

21 December 2006

This judgment will become final in the circumstances set out in Article 44 § 2 of the Convention. It may be subject to editorial revision.

In the case of Marič v. Slovenia,

The European Court of Human Rights (Third Section), sitting as a Chamber composed of:

Mr C. Bîrsan, President,
Mr B.M. Zupančič,
Mr V. Zagrebelsky,
Mrs A. Gyulumyan,
Mr David Thór Björgvinsson,
Mrs I. Ziemele,
Mrs I. Berro-Lefèvre, judges,
and Mr V. Berger, Section Registrar,

Having deliberated in private on 30 November 2006,

Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date:

PROCEDURE

The case originated in an application (no. 35489/02) against the Republic of Slovenia lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) by a Slovenian national, Mr Marjan Marič (“the applicant”), on 19 September 2002.

The applicant was represented by the Verstovšek lawyers. The Slovenian Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agent, Mr L. Bembič, State Attorney-General.

The applicant alleged under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention that the length of the proceedings before the domestic courts to which he was a party was excessive. In substance, he also complained about the lack of an effective domestic remedy in respect of the excessive length of the proceedings (Article 13 of the Convention).

On 20 September 2005 the Court decided to communicate the complaints concerning the length of the proceedings and the lack of remedies in that respect to the Government. Applying Article 29 § 3 of the Convention, it decided to examine the merits of the application at the same time as its admissibility.

THE FACTS

The applicant was born in 1974 and lives in Celje.

In 1992 the applicant was undergoing a military training as a conscript. On 6 November 1992 he was injured while playing football.

On 3 November 1995 the applicant instituted civil proceedings against the Republic of Slovenia, Ministry of Defence (“the Ministry”) in the Celje District Court (OkroZno sodišče v Celju) seeking damages in the amount of 4,256,002 Slovenian tolars (approximately 17,760 euros) for the injuries sustained.

On 13 February 1997 the judge presiding over the case was appointed to the Celje Higher Court (Višje sodišče v Celju) and the case was transferred to a new judge.

On 30 September 1997 the applicant requested that a date be set for a hearing.

On 15 December 1997 and 14 January 1998 the court held hearings.

On 15 January 1998 the applicant lodged preliminary written submissions and adduced evidence.

On 4 February and 5 June 1998 the court held hearings. The latter hearing was adjourned because the applicant's mother, who was summoned to the court to be heard as a witness, did not appear.

On 3 July 1998 the court held a hearing and issued a judgment on the merits. It found the Ministry liable for the injuries sustained in the accident. The judgment was served on the applicant on 30 December 1998.

The Ministry appealed to the Celje Higher Court.

On 15 September 1999 the court dismissed the appeal. The decision was served on the applicant on 30 September 1999.

The Ministry lodged an appeal on points of law with the Supreme Court (Vrhovno sodišče).

On 28 June 2000 the court rejected the appeal.

In the meanwhile, the Celje District Court continued proceedings concerning the damages. On 13 October 1999 it held a hearing and decided to appoint a medical expert.

On 27 September 2000 the court held a hearing and appointed a medical expert. On 13 November 2000 the appointed expert delivered the opinion.

On 21 November 2000 the applicant submitted preliminary written submissions and increased his claim.

On 1 December 2000 the court held a hearing and decided to deliver a written judgment. The judgment, upholding the applicant's claim for damages in part, was served on the applicant on 19 March 2001.

On 28 March 2001 the applicant appealed to the Celje Higher Court. The Ministry cross-appealed.

On 4 July 2002 the court dismissed both appeals. The judgment was served on the applicant on 28 August 2002.

On 10 September 2002 the applicant lodged an appeal on points of law with the Supreme Court (Vrhovno sodišče). The Ministry cross-appealed.

On 23 October 2003 dismissed both appeals. The judgment was served on the applicant on 26 November 2003.

THE LAW

I. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLES 6 § 1 AND 13 OF THE CONVENTION

The applicant complained about the excessive length of the proceedings. He relied on Article 6 § 1 of the Convention, which reads as follows:

“In the determination of his civil rights and obligations ..., everyone is entitled to a ... hearing within a reasonable time by [a] ... tribunal...”

In substance, the applicant further complained that the remedies available for excessive legal proceedings in Slovenia were ineffective. Article 13 of the Convention reads as follows:

“Everyone whose rights and freedoms as set forth in [the] Convention are violated shall have an effective remedy before a national authority notwithstanding that the violation has been committed by persons acting in an official capacity.”

A. Admissibility

The Government pleaded non-exhaustion of domestic remedies.

The applicant contested that argument, claiming that the remedies available were not effective.

The Court notes that the present application is similar to the cases of Belinger and Lukenda (see Belinger v. Slovenia (dec.), no. 42320/98, 2 October 2001 and Lukenda v. Slovenia, no. 23032/02, 6 October 2005). In those cases the Court dismissed the Government's objection of non-exhaustion of domestic remedies because it found that the legal remedies at the applicant's disposal were ineffective. The Court recalls its findings in the Lukenda judgment that the violation of the right to a trial within a reasonable time is a systemic problem resulting from inadequate legislation and inefficiency in the administration of justice.

As regards the instant case, the Court finds that the Government have not submitted any convincing arguments which would require the Court to distinguish it from its established case-law.

As to the applicability of Article 6, the Court recalls that disputes between administrative authorities and employees who occupy posts involving participation in the exercise of powers conferred by public law do not attract the application of Article 6 § 1. However, regard being had to the fact that at the time the applicant sustained his injuries he was a conscript, the Court considers that he was not the holder of a post “wielding a portion of the State's sovereign power” (see, a contrario, Pellegrin v. France [GC], no. 28541/95, § 67, ECHR 1999-VII, and Goršek v. Slovenia, no. 75813/01, 30 March 2006). This provision is, accordingly, applicable in the present case.

The Court further notes that the application is not manifestly ill-founded within the meaning of Article 35 § 3 of the Convention. Nor is it inadmissible on any other grounds. It must therefore be declared admissible.

B. Merits

1. Article 6 § 1

The period to be taken into consideration began on 3 November 1995, the day the applicant instituted proceedings with the Celje District Court, and ended on 26 November 2003, the day the Supreme Court's judgment was served on the applicant. It therefore lasted nearly eight years and one month for three levels of jurisdiction. In total, decisions were rendered in six instances.

The Court reiterates that the reasonableness of the length of proceedings must be assessed in the light of the circumstances of the case and with reference to the following criteria: the complexity of the case, the conduct of the applicant and the relevant authorities and what was at stake for the applicant in the dispute (see, among many other authorities, Frydlender v. France [GC], no. 30979/96, § 43, ECHR 2000-VII).

Having examined all the material submitted to it, and having regard to its case-law on the subject, the Court considers that in the instant case the length of the proceedings was excessive and failed to meet the “reasonable-time” requirement.

There has accordingly been a breach of Article 6 § 1.

2. Article 13

The Court reiterates that Article 13 guarantees an effective remedy before a national authority for an alleged breach of the requirement under Article 6 § 1 to hear a case within a reasonable time (see Kudła v. Poland [GC], no. 30210/96, § 156, ECHR 2000-XI). It notes that the objections and arguments put forward by the Government have been rejected in earlier cases (see Lukenda, cited above) and sees no reason to reach a different conclusion in the present case.

Accordingly, the Court considers that in the present case there has been a violation of Article 13 on account of the lack of a remedy under domestic law whereby the applicant could have obtained a ruling upholding his right to have his case heard within a reasonable time, as set forth in Article 6 § 1.

II. APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 41 OF THE CONVENTION

Article 41 of the Convention provides:

“If the Court finds that there has been a violation of the Convention or the Protocols thereto, and if the internal law of the High Contracting Party concerned allows only partial reparation to be made, the Court shall, if necessary, afford just satisfaction to the injured party.”

A. Damage

The applicant claimed 15,000 euros (EUR) in respect of non-pecuniary damage.

The Government contested the claim.

The Court considers that the applicant must have sustained non-pecuniary damage. Ruling on an equitable basis, it awards him EUR 1,200 under that head.

B. Costs and expenses

The applicant also claimed approximately EUR 1,340 for the costs and expenses incurred before the Court.

The Government argued that the claim was too high.

According to the Court's case-law, an applicant is entitled to reimbursement of his costs and expenses only in so far as it has been shown that these have been actually and necessarily incurred and were reasonable as to quantum. The Court also notes that the applicant's lawyers, who also represented the applicant in Lukenda (cited above), lodged nearly 400 applications which, apart from the facts, are essentially the same as this one. Accordingly, in the present case, regard being had to the information in its possession and the above criteria, the Court considers it reasonable to award the applicant the sum of EUR 1,000 for the proceedings before the Court.

C. Default interest

The Court considers it appropriate that the default interest should be based on the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank, to which should be added three percentage points.

FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT UNANIMOUSLY

Declares the application admissible;

Holds that there has been a violation of Article 6 § 1 of the Convention;

Holds that there has been a violation of Article 13 of the Convention;

Holds

(a) that the respondent State is to pay the applicant, within three months from the date on which the judgment becomes final in accordance with Article 44 § 2 of the Convention, EUR 1,200 (one thousand two hundred euros) in respect of non-pecuniary damage and EUR 1,000 (one thousand euros) in respect of costs and expenses, plus any tax that may be chargeable;

(b) that from the expiry of the above-mentioned three months until settlement simple interest shall be payable on the above amounts at a rate equal to the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank during the default period plus three percentage points;

5. Dismisses the remainder of the applicant's claim for just satisfaction.

Done in English, and notified in writing on 21 December 2006, pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.

Vincent Berger Corneliu Bîrsan
Registrar President