CEDH · CASELAW;CLIN;ENG — 26 septembre 1996

.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 } .sEB86A30B { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:14pt; page-break-after:avoid } .s9FF10068 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:12pt } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } .s5F48796F { margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:justify } .s85F2E5C5 { width:30.44pt; display:inline-block } .s6863D229 { width:26pt; display:inline-block } .s90A93616 { width:27.66pt; display:inline-block } .sBDAE81C4 { width:27.67pt; display:inline-block } .sC7C396CD { width:24.89pt; display:inline-block } .s49A78FE0 { width:26.55pt; display:inline-block } .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 No. September 1996 Di Pede v. Italy - 15797/89 Judgment 26.9.1996 Article 6 Civil proceedings Enforcement proceedings Article 6-1 Reasonable time Length of civil proceedings followed by enforcement proceedings: violation [This summary is extracted from the Court’s official reports (Series A or Reports of Judgments and Decisions). Its formatting and structure may therefore differ from the Case-Law Information Note summaries.] I.   ARTICLE 6 § 1 OF THE CONVENTION ("REASONABLE TIME") A.   Government's preliminary objection (application submitted out of time) Not necessary for Court to express view on difference of opinion among legal writers as to whether under Italian law enforcement proceedings are autonomous - Court's task to decide whether, and if so when, right asserted by applicant actually became effective - that moment constituted determination of a civil right and therefore the final decision for purposes of Article 26. After close of proceedings on merits, applicant did all he could to conclude case, but works ordered by court were only partially completed. Faced with inertia of judge responsible for enforcement, he had applied to European Commission of Human Rights on 3 July 1989. Enforcement proceedings to be regarded as second stage of proceedings on merits; to date, no final decision within the meaning of Article 26 in fine of the Convention. Discontinuation of proceedings not borne out by documents in file. Conclusion : objection dismissed (eight votes to one). B.   Merits of complaint 1.   Period to be considered Starting-point: summons to appear in Matera District Court. End: proceedings pending. Total: already more than eighteen years. 2.   Applicable criteria Applicant's conduct: responsible for part of delay. Authorities' conduct: reminders to expert issued by judge preparing case for trial had not had desired effect - expert should therefore have been replaced.   Inexplicable why so many hearings were necessary, particularly during proceedings on merits. Case not particularly complex. Conclusion : violation (eight votes to one). II.   ARTICLE 1 OF PROTOCOL No. 1 Conclusion : not necessary to consider complaint (unanimously). III.   ARTICLE 50 OF CONVENTION A.   Damage Claims allowed in part. B.   Costs and expenses Before domestic courts and Commission: reimbursement not claimed. Before Court: legal aid granted; reimbursement not claimed. Conclusion : State to pay applicant specified sum for damage (eight votes to one).   © 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