CEDH · CASELAW;CLIN;ENG — 18 juillet 2000

.s3ABFC313 { font-size:10pt } .sD4B5322E { margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:12pt; text-align:justify } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial } .sA241FE93 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:18pt; text-align:justify; page-break-after:avoid; border-bottom:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-bottom:1pt } .s2EF62ED2 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:12pt } .s4DDA3AA3 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; font-style:italic } .s29100277 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .s8F2B0B1B { margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:12pt; page-break-after:avoid; font-size:12pt } .s97EB40D9 { margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:14pt; page-break-after:avoid } .s65B66A85 { margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:12pt } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } .s5F48796F { margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:justify } .s8B6C6D43 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; border-bottom:1pt solid #000000; padding-bottom:1pt } .sDF790F1E { margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center } .s7ED160F0 { text-decoration:none } .s3DC36BA9 { font-family:Arial; text-decoration:underline; color:#0069d6 } Information Note on the Court’s case-law 20 July 2000 S.M. v. France - 41453/98 Judgment 18.7.2000 [Section III] Article 6 Civil proceedings Article 6-1 Reasonable time Length of administrative proceedings: violation Facts : The case concerns the length of administrative proceedings initiated by the applicant, a medico-social secretary in a departmental social services office. The proceedings mainly concerned the amount of the applicant’s retirement pension, following a refusal to establish her in a certain category. The proceedings lasted more than 12 years and 9 months. Law : Article 6 § 1 – the applicant’s duties did not involve participation in the exercise of public authority and, in any event, the proceedings in issue mainly concerned the amount of her retirement pension. All pension disputes fall within the scope of Article 6, because once retired a servant breaks his special link with the administration. Article 6 is applicable. A number of periods of inactivity can be attributed to the judicial authorities and neither the complexity of the case nor the applicant’s conduct can explain the time taken. Conclusion : violation (unanimously). Article 41 – The Court saw no connection between the violation and any pecuniary harm which the applicant may have sustained and rejected her claims under that head. The Court awarded the applicant a sum of 40,000 francs (FRF) in respect of non-pecuniary harm. It further considered that there was no need to reimburse the costs incurred in the domestic proceedings, since these were not incurred for the purpose of remedying the violation found.   © Council of Europe/European Court of Human Rights This summary by the Registry does not bind the Court. Click here for the Case-Law Information Notes