Resolution CM/ResDH(2007)11[1]
Execution of the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights
Munari against Switzerland
(Application No. 7957/02, judgment of 12 July 2005, final on 12 October 2005)
The Committee of Ministers, under the terms of Article 46, paragraph 2, of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which provides that the Committee supervises the execution of final judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (hereinafter referred to as “the Convention” and “the Court”);
Having regard to the judgment in this case, transmitted once it had become final by the Court to the Committee on 12 October 2005;
Recalling that the violation of the Convention found by the Court in this case concerns the excessive length of criminal proceedings (violation of Article 6, paragraph 1) (see details in Appendix);
Having invited the government of the respondent state to inform the Committee of the measures taken in order to comply with Switzerland's obligation under Article 46, paragraph 1, of the Convention to abide by the judgment;
Having examined the information provided by the government in accordance with the Committee's Rules for the application of Article 46, paragraph 2, of the Convention;
Having satisfied itself that, within the time-limit set, the respondent state paid the applicant the just satisfaction provided in the judgment (see details in Appendix),
Recalling that a finding of violations by the Court requires, over and above the payment of just satisfaction awarded in the judgment, the adoption by the respondent state, where appropriate, of
- individual measures to put an end to the violations and erase their consequences so as to achieve as far as possible restitutio in integrum; and
- general measures preventing new, similar violations;
Having examined the measures taken by the respondent state to that effect, the details of which appear in the Appendix;
DECLARES that it has exercised its functions under Article 46, paragraph 2, of the Convention in this case and DECIDES to close its examination.
Appendix to Resolution CM/ResDH(2007)11
Information about the measures to comply with the judgment in the case of
Munari against Switzerland
Introductory case summary
The case concerns the excessive length of certain criminal proceedings against the applicant, a financial consultant for a foundation, who was suspected of fraud, offences relating to the foundation's assets and dishonest management. The period to be taken into consideration began in January 1993 with preliminary investigations and ended in December 2002 when the public prosecutor abandoned the prosecution for lack of grounds (more than 9 years for one level of jurisdiction) (violation of Article 6, paragraph 1).
I.Payment of just satisfaction and individual measures
a) Details of just satisfaction
Non-pecuniary damage
Costs and expenses
Total
Paid on
7 000 €
3 230 €
10 230 €
13/12/2005
b) Individual measures
None (proceedings closed). In June 2001, the Federal Court awarded the applicant 1 500 Swiss francs for his expenses on account of the length of the proceedings. Following the appeal introduced by the applicant in April 2001, the Federal Court acknowledged the violation of Article 6, paragraph 1, in this case and ordered the lower courts to deal with it without further delay.
II.General measures
The judgment of the European Court which does not reveal a structural problem, has been sent out to the authorities directly concerned and brought to the attention of the Cantons via a circular. It was published in Verwaltungspraxis der Bundesbehörden (Digest of Confederal Administrative Case-law), VPB 69.137, available via and mentioned in the yearly report of the Federal Council on the activities of Switzerland in the Council of Europe in 2005.
[1] Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 28 February 2007 at the 987th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies
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