THIRD SECTION
CASE OF KOSTIĆ AND OTHERS v. SERBIA
(Application no. 45727/16 and 51 others -
see appended list)
JUDGMENT
STRASBOURG
3 October 2019
This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision.
In the case of Kostić and Others v. Serbia,
The European Court of Human Rights (Third Section), sitting as a Committee composed of:
Dmitry Dedov, President,
Alena Poláčková,
Gilberto Felici, judges,
and Liv Tigerstedt, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,
Having deliberated in private on 12 September 2019,
Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date:
PROCEDURE
1. The case originated in applications against Serbia 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.
2. The applicants were represented by Ms T. Stojiljković, a lawyer practising in Leskovac.
3. The Serbian Government (“the Government”) were given notice of the applications.
THE FACTS
4. The list of applicants and the relevant details of the applications are set out in the appended table.
5. The applicants complained of the non-enforcement or delayed enforcement of domestic decisions given against socially/State-owned companies.
THE LAWJOINDER OF THE APPLICATIONS
6. Having regard to the similar subject matter of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single judgment.ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 6 § 1 OF THE CONVENTION and of article 1 of protocol no. 1
7. The applicants complained of the delayed enforcement of domestic decisions given in their favour. They relied, expressly or in substance, on Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and on Article 1 of Protocol No. 1, which, in the relevant part, read as follows:
Article 6 § 1
“In the determination of his civil rights and obligations ... everyone is entitled to a fair ... hearing ... by [a] ... tribunal ...”
Article 1 of Protocol No. 1
“Every natural or legal person is entitled to the peaceful enjoyment of his possessions. ...”
8. The Court reiterates that the execution of a judgment given by any court must be regarded as an integral part of a “hearing” for the purposes of Article 6. It also refers to its case-law concerning the non-enforcement or delayed enforcement of final domestic judgments (see Hornsby v. Greece, no. 18357/91, § 40, Reports of Judgments and Decisions 1997‑II).
9. In the leading cases of R. Kačapor and Others v. Serbia, nos. 2269/06 and 5 others, §§ 97-99, 106-16 and 119-20, 15 January 2008, Crnišanin and Others v. Serbia, nos. 35835/05 and 3 others, § 124, 13 January 2009, and Stevanović and Others v. Serbia [Committee], nos. 43815/17 and 15 others, 27 August 2019, the Court already found a violation in respect of issues similar to those in the present case.
10. The Court further notes that the decisions in the present applications ordered specific action to be taken. The Court therefore considers that the decisions in question constitute “possessions” within the meaning of Article 1 of Protocol No.1.
11. Having examined all the material submitted to it, the Court has not found any fact or argument capable of persuading it to reach a different conclusion on the admissibility and merits of these complaints. Having regard to its case-law on the subject, the Court considers that in the instant case the authorities did not deploy all necessary efforts to enforce in due time the decisions in the applicants’ favour.
12. These complaints are therefore admissible and disclose a breach of Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1.APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 41 OF THE CONVENTION
13. 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.”
14. Regard being had to the documents in its possession and to its case‑law (see, in particular, Stošić v. Serbia, no. 64931/10, §§ 66-68, 1 October 2013), the Court considers it reasonable to award the sums indicated in the appended table.
15. The Court considers it appropriate that the default interest rate 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,Decides to join the applications;Declares the applications admissible;Holds that these applications disclose a breach of Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 concerning the delayed enforcement of domestic decisions given against socially/State-owned companies;Holds
(a) that the respondent State is to pay the applicants, within three months, the amounts indicated in the appended table, to be converted into the currency of the respondent State at the rate applicable at the date of settlement;
(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.
Done in English, and notified in writing on 3 October 2019, pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.
Liv TigerstedtDmitry Dedov
Acting Deputy RegistrarPresident
APPENDIX
List of applications raising complaints under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1
(non-enforcement or delayed enforcement of domestic decisions given against socially/State-owned companies)
No.
Application no.
Date of introduction
Applicant’s name
Date of birth
Relevant domestic decision
Start date of non-enforcement period or date of entry into force the Convention in respect of Serbia (3 March 2004)
End date of non-enforcement period Length of enforcement proceedings
Domestic award
(in euros)
Amount awarded for non-pecuniary damage and costs and expenses per applicant
(in euros)[1] [2]
45727/16
26/07/2016
Olivera Kostić
25/03/1967
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 06/12/2001
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 13/11/1998
03/03/2004
03/03/2004
26/12/2016
12 year(s) and 9 month(s) and 24 day(s)
26/12/2016
12 year(s) and 9 month(s) and 24 day(s)
0
2,000
3762/17
22/12/2016
Divna Đorđević
25/10/1960
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 12/05/2003
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 29/01/2008
30/11/2007
21/04/2008
22/12/2016
9 year(s) and 23 day(s)
22/12/2016
8 year(s) and 8 month(s) and 2 day(s)
100
2,000
3846/17
29/12/2016
Jelka Stevanović
06/09/1960
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 19/11/2003
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 22/02/2008
03/04/2006
27/06/2008
09/01/2017
10 year(s) and 9 month(s) and 7 day(s)
09/01/2017
8 year(s) and 6 month(s) and 14 day(s)
170
2,000
3859/17
29/12/2016
Ruža Jovanović
14/11/1958
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 14/07/2003
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 10/01/2008
22/11/2007
10/12/2008
17/01/2017
9 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 27 day(s)
17/01/2017
8 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 8 day(s)
255
2,000
3865/17
29/12/2016
Dragana Colić
14/07/1979
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 16/09/2005
27/01/2006
06/03/2017
11 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 8 day(s)
255
2,000
4283/17
22/12/2016
Olivera Cvetković
19/09/1965
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 13/11/2003
29/10/2007
26/12/2016
9 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 28 day(s)
100
2,000
4300/17
19/12/2016
Novica Jović
18/03/1954
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 01/07/2003
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 18/12/2003
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 24/04/2008
30/11/2007
29/02/2008
26/06/2008
26/12/2016
9 year(s) and 27 day(s)
26/12/2016
8 year(s) and 9 month(s) and 28 day(s)
26/12/2016
8 year(s) and 6 month(s) and 1 day(s)
255
2,000
4304/17
19/12/2016
Zorica Stanojević
15/03/1950
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 12/03/2003
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 14/03/2008
07/06/2007
18/06/2008
26/12/2016
9 year(s) and 6 month(s) and 20 day(s)
26/12/2016
8 year(s) and 6 month(s) and 9 day(s)
255
2,000
4310/17
19/12/2016
Radica Todorović
22/01/1961
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 23/09/2003
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 28/02/2008
10/12/2004
16/06/2008
26/12/2016
12 year(s) and 17 day(s)
26/12/2016
8 year(s) and 6 month(s) and 11 day(s)
255
2,000
4314/17
22/12/2016
Ljiljana Rašić
05/02/1962
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 21/04/2003
22/11/2004
26/12/2016
12 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 5 day(s)
100
2,000
5253/17
29/12/2016
Dejan Colić
02/08/1969
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 16/09/2005
27/01/2006
06/03/2017
11 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 8 day(s)
255
2,000
6026/17
29/12/2016
Jasmina Dimitrijević
04/07/1967
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 06/02/2007
23/04/2007
27/02/2017
9 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 5 day(s)
170
2,000
10196/17
23/01/2017
Aleksandar Pešić
07/10/1963
Commercial Court in Leskovac, 26/11/2003
08/05/2007
02/03/2017
9 year(s) and 9 month(s) and 23 day(s)
85
2,000
10332/17
25/01/2017
Zorica Niskić
28/01/1954
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 09/06/2003
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 29/01/2008
05/11/2007
18/03/2008
02/03/2017
9 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 26 day(s)
02/03/2017
8 year(s) and 11 month(s) and 13 day(s)
85
2,000
10478/17
25/01/2017
Zoran Novković
21/10/1970
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 17/12/2003
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 15/04/2008
17/12/2007
17/09/2008
02/03/2017
9 year(s) and 2 month(s) and 14 day(s)
02/03/2017
8 year(s) and 5 month(s) and 14 day(s)
85
2,000
10484/17
27/01/2017
Slađana Nedeljković
23/09/1957
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 11/01/2007
07/03/2007
02/03/2017
9 year(s) and 11 month(s) and 24 day(s)
0
2,000
11097/17
31/01/2017
Zoran Mišić
09/01/1960
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 20/10/2003
19/12/2007
10/04/2017
9 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 23 day(s)
170
2,000
11105/17
31/01/2017
Vesna Mišić
27/11/1963
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 20/03/2003
17/12/2007
10/04/2017
9 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 25 day(s)
170
2,000
58002/17
02/08/2017
Slađana Stojanović
05/12/1964
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 29/10/2007
28/05/2010
08/08/2017
7 year(s) and 2 month(s) and 12 day(s)
0
2,000
58203/17
31/07/2017
Sunčica Stanisavljević
06/09/1967
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 04/04/2003
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 10/01/2008
15/11/2007
02/10/2009
11/09/2017
9 year(s) and 9 month(s) and 28 day(s)
11/09/2017
7 year(s) and 11 month(s) and 10 day(s)
300
2,000
58828/17
01/08/2017
Mihajlo Anđelković
25/04/1949
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 26/11/2003
11/05/2007
08/08/2017
10 year(s) and 2 month(s) and 29 day(s)
85
2,000
69008/17
11/09/2017
Latinka Stojanović
25/05/1957
Commercial Court in Leskovac, 01/12/2003
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 26/12/2006
23/03/2006
17/12/2010
10/08/2017
11 year(s) and 4 month(s) and 19 day(s)
10/08/2017
6 year(s) and 7 month(s) and 25 day(s)
100
2,000
69153/17
11/09/2017
Snežana Stanković
23/09/1955
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 26/11/2003
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 26/02/2007
03/03/2004
17/09/2008
10/08/2017
13 year(s) and 5 month(s) and 8 day(s)s)
10/08/2017
8 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 25 day(s)
270
2,000
69181/17
11/09/2017
Stanimirka Živković
20/04/1949
Commercial Court in Leskovac, 22/11/2001
08/11/2006
10/08/2017
10 year(s) and 9 month(s) and 3 day(s)
100
2,000
70575/17
18/09/2017
Divna Stanojković
16/07/1956
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 16/10/2003
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 17/05/2008
03/03/2004
04/07/2008
10/08/2017
13 year(s) and 5 month(s) and 8 day(s)
10/08/2017
9 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 7 day(s)
255
2,000
70594/17
18/09/2017
Stana Mitrović
23/11/1960
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 24/07/2003
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 05/03/2008
22/02/2008
26/08/2008
10/08/2017
9 year(s) and 5 month(s) and 20 day(s)
10/08/2012
3 year(s) and 11 month(s) and 16 day(s)
255
2,000
70604/17
18/08/2017
Gordana Kocić
21/07/1955
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 14/04/2004
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 17/04/2008
20/12/2007
25/11/2008
10/08/2017
9 year(s) and 7 month(s) and 22 day(s)
10/08/2017
8 year(s) and 8 month(s) and 17 day(s)
255
2,000
71892/17
25/09/2017
Dragoljub Nikolić
07/08/1952
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 15/08/2003
Municipal Court in leskovac, 04/07/2008
11/07/2007
02/10/2008
10/08/2017
10 year(s) and 1 month(s)
10/08/2017
8 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 9 day(s)
255
2,000
72813/17
02/10/2017
Ivana Cojić
16/10/1971
Commercial Court in Leskovac, 27/06/2006
10/04/2007
27/10/2017
10 year(s) and 6 month(s) and 18 day(s)
200
2,000
72835/17
02/10/2017
Jadranka Živković
05/02/1968
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 04/01/2007
14/02/2007
31/10/2017
10 year(s) and 8 month(s) and 18 day(s)
200
2,000
73001/17
25/09/2017
Milka Ivanović
29/09/1971
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 06/10/2005
Municipal Court in Leskovac , 14/09/2006
27/03/2006
15/05/2007
10/08/2017
11 year(s) and 4 month(s) and 15 day(s)
10/08/2017
10 year(s) and 2 month(s) and 27 day(s)
255
2,000
73017/17
25/09/2017
Anđa Todorović
01/01/1952
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 12/10/2004
Leskovac Municipal Court, 20/08/2007
29/05/2007
03/10/2007
10/08/2017
10 year(s) and 2 month(s) and 13 day(s)
10/08/2017
9 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 8 day(s)
255
2,000
73025/17
02/10/2017
Milinka Icić
11/11/1967
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 07/05/2007
24/08/2007
17/11/2017
10 year(s) and 2 month(s) and 25 day(s)
200
2,000
74921/17
02/10/2017
Svetlana Miljković
21/08/1967
Municipal Court In Leskovac, 19/12/2006
26/02/2007
31/10/2017
10 year(s) and 8 month(s) and 6 day(s)
200
2,000
74999/17
02/10/2017
Goran Stanković
18/11/1967
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 16/07/2003
26/02/2008
01/11/2017
9 year(s) and 8 month(s) and 7 day(s)
85
2,000
75001/17
02/10/2017
Jadranka Ilić
24/07/1967
Commercial Court in Leskovac, 24/11/2003
03/03/2004
01/11/2017
13 year(s) and 7 month(s) and 30 day(s)
200
2,000
75337/17
16/10/2017
Milorad Kostić
04/06/1952
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 20/05/2003
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 19/11/2007
20/08/2008
22/05/2013
18/10/2017
9 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 29 day(s)
18/10/2017
4 year(s) and 4 month(s) and 27 day(s)
255
2,000
75449/17
16/10/2017
Slađanka Ranđelović
04/02/1961
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 20/03/2003
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 28/02/2008
25/12/2007
12/02/2008
01/11/2017
9 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 8 day(s)
01/11/2017
9 year(s) and 8 month(s) and 21 day(s)
255
2,000
77678/17
30/10/2017
Zlatka Jović
04/11/1958
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 16/05/2003
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 04/04/2008
30/11/2007
16/12/2008
13/11/2017
9 year(s) and 11 month(s) and 15 day(s)
13/11/2017
8 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 29 day(s)
100
2,000
77693/17
30/10/2017
Milan Stanković
14/02/1952
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 07/07/2003
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 05/05/2003
13/12/2004
17/09/2008
13/11/2017
12 year(s) and 11 month(s) and 1 day(s)
13/11/2017
9 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 28 day(s)
170
2,000
78370/17
30/10/2017
Nevena Tošić
24/03/1974
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 16/05/2003
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 06/03/2008
29/11/2004
01/07/2008
26/11/2017
12 year(s) and 11 month(s) and 29 day(s)
26/11/2017
9 year(s) and 4 month(s) and 26 day(s)
170
2,000
78380/17
30/10/2017
Dragan Vujić
06/06/1957
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 13/06/2003
28/12/2007
09/11/2017
9 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 13 day(s)
100
2,000
78382/17
31/10/2017
Smilja Petković
06/02/1958
Commercial Court in Leskovac, 14/11/2000
23/03/2007
09/11/2017
10 year(s) and 7 month(s) and 18 day(s)
0
2,000
78386/17
30/10/2017
Milun Vujić
06/10/1953
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 11/04/2008
07/11/2008
13/11/2017
9 year(s) and 7 day(s)
100
2,000
78389/17
30/10/2017
Goran Krstić
05/12/1970
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 20/05/2003
10/07/2007
09/11/2017
10 year(s) and 4 month(s)
255
2,000
78396/17
30/10/2017
Divna Ivanović
29/01/1963
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 30/01/2008
12/02/2009
13/11/2017
8 year(s) and 9 month(s) and 2 day(s)
100
2,000
80462/17
13/11/2017
Jadranka Đorđević
14/09/1961
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 15/04/2003
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 11/04/2008
30/11/2007
30/10/2008
21/11/2017
9 year(s) and 11 month(s) and 23 day(s)
21/11/2017
9 year(s) and 23 day(s)
100
2,000
82577/17
01/12/2017
Nada Todorović
14/10/1961
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 17/12/2003
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 22/01/2008
10/12/2007
27/06/2008
05/12/2017
9 year(s) and 11 month(s) and 26 day(s)
05/12/2017
9 year(s) and 5 month(s) and 9 day(s)
300
2,000
82578/17
01/12/2017
Snežana Antanasović
09/05/1969
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 25/09/2003
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 05/02/2008
06/12/2007
16/06/2008
15/12/2017
10 year(s) and 10 day(s)
15/12/2017
9 year(s) and 6 month(s)
300
2,000
82581/17
01/12/2017
Tomislav Đorđević
13/03/1951
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 10/09/2003
09/01/2008
05/12/2017
9 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 27 day(s)
300
2,000
82584/17
01/12/2017
Trajko Stojković
24/10/1949
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 11/06/2003
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 14/03/2008
29/11/2004
01/07/2008
05/12/2017
13 year(s) and 7 day(s)
05/12/2017
9 year(s) and 5 month(s) and 5 day(s)
200
2,000
83590/17
06/12/2017
Marina Kostić
25/07/1961
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 05/02/2007
Municipal Court in Leskovac, 02/02/2004
09/03/2007
19/02/2017
26/12/2017
10 year(s) and 9 month(s) and 18 day(s)
26/12/2017
10 month(s) and 8 day(s)
100
2,000
[1]. Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.
[2]. Less any amounts which may have already been paid in that regard at the domestic level.
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