SECOND SECTION
DECISION
Application no. 2366/25
Imréné BERNÁTH and Others against Hungary
and 4 other applications
(see appended table)
The European Court of Human Rights (Second Section), sitting on 9 April 2026 as a Committee composed of:
Stéphane Pisani, President,
Juha Lavapuro,
Hugh Mercer, judges,
and Attila Teplán, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,
Having regard to the above applications against Hungary lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) on the various dates indicated in the appended table,
Having regard to the declarations submitted by the respondent Government requesting the Court to strike the applications out of the list of cases, and the applicants’ replies to these declarations,
Having deliberated, decides as follows:
FACTS AND PROCEDUREThe list of applicants and their representatives is set out in the appended table.
The applicants’ complaints under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention concerning the excessive length of civil proceedings were communicated to the Hungarian Government (“the Government”).
After unsuccessful friendly-settlement negotiations, the Government submitted declarations with a view to resolving the issues raised by these complaints. They further requested the Court to strike out the applications.
The Government acknowledged the excessive length of civil proceedings. They offered to pay the applicants the amounts detailed in the appended table and invited the Court to strike the applications out of the list of cases in accordance with Article 37 § 1 (c) of the Convention. The amounts would be converted into the currency of the respondent State at the rate applicable on the date of payment, and would be payable within three months from the date of notification of the Court’s decision. In the event of failure to pay these amounts within the above-mentioned three-month period, the Government undertook to pay simple interest on them, from the expiry of that period until settlement, at a rate equal to the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank during the default period plus three percentage points.
The payment will constitute the final resolution of the cases.
The applicants informed the Court that they agreed to the terms of the declarations.
THE LAWHaving regard to the similar subject matter of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single decision.
The Court finds that, following the applicants’ express agreement to the terms of the declaration made by the Government, the cases should be treated as a friendly settlement between the parties.
It therefore takes note of the friendly settlement reached between the parties. It is satisfied that the settlement is based on respect for human rights as defined in the Convention and the Protocols thereto and finds no reasons to justify the continued examination of the applications.
In view of the above, it is appropriate to strike the cases out of the list.
For these reasons, the Court, unanimously,
Decides to join the applications;
Decides to strike the applications out of its list of cases in accordance with Article 39 of the Convention.
Done in English and notified in writing on 13 May 2026.
Attila Teplán Stéphane Pisani
Acting Deputy Registrar President
APPENDIX
List of applications raising complaints under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention
(excessive length of civil proceedings)
No.
Application no.
Date of introduction
Applicant’s name
Year of birth
Representative’s name and location
Date of receipt of Government’s declaration
Date of receipt of applicant’s acceptance
Amount awarded for pecuniary and non‑pecuniary damage and costs and expenses
per applicant
(in euros)[1]
2366/25
17/12/2024
(22 applicants)
Imréné BERNÁTH
1947
Vilmosné BIHARI
1948
Ferencné BUDAI
1938
Lászlóné CSALÁDI
1964
Noémi Mariann ESKULICS
1967
Szilvia FARKASNÉ PRESZTER
1979
Nándor FORSTNER
1950
Sándor GULYÁS
1952
Zsanett HORVÁTH
1988
Gábor KISS
1962
Tibor KISS
1962
Beatrix KÖRMENDI
1980
Istvánné KOZMA
1955
Tamás LÓDERER
1952
István MÁNDICS
1951
Jánosné MARKÓ
1938
Antal Andrásné MOLNÁR
1964
János NEMES
1978
József NYIKOS
1949
Tibor László RIBB
1967
Ferencné SIPOS
1950
Istvánné SZABÓ
1943
Váczi Péter
Győr
16/02/2026
26/02/2026
200
6456/25
21/02/2025
István STUMPF
1950
Váczi Péter
Győr
17/02/2026
19/02/2026
200
9458/25
13/03/2025
(10 applicants)
Sándor Lajos KERTÉSZ
1945
Sándor BALLA
1948
Ferenc BARABÁS
1948
Miklós BOGNÁR
1954
Sándor CSIZMADIA
1944
Győző IMRE
1963
László JAKAB
1948
Zsolt KOVÁCS
1970
Gábor RUFF
1954
Jánosné TETZL
1948
Váczi Péter
Győr
09/12/2025
26/02/2026
200
12619/25
16/04/2025
János KAISER
1959
Váczi Péter
Győr
16/02/2026
26/02/2026
200
12620/25
16/04/2025
(7 applicants)
Mária SZÉP
1957
Lajos BALLA
1951
Jenő Lajos BERTALAN
1950
Ferencné BÍRÓ
1951
Árpád BOGNÁR
1964
Zsigmond NAGY
1955
Zoltán OTT
1975
Váczi Péter
Győr
08/12/2025
26/02/2026
200
[1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.