Information Note on the Court’s case-law No.
November 1996
Ceteroni v. Italy - 22461/93 and 22465/93
Judgment 15.11.1996
Article 6
Civil proceedings
Article 6-1
Reasonable time
Length of two sets of civil proceedings and restrictions on the right of bankrupts to respect for their correspondence and to the liberty of movement within the territory of their State: 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 (non-exhaustion of domestic remedies)
Possibility even for the bankrupt to complain to the bankruptcy judge not only in respect of measures taken by the liquidator but also on account of latter's inactivity - remedy could not be regarded as effective - objection unfounded.
Possibility of demanding that the bankruptcy judge terminate the bankruptcy proceedings without waiting for the outcome of the two sets of proceedings contesting the statement of liabilities - this limb not put forward before the Commission and Government therefore estopped from relying on it.
Conclusion: objection dismissed (unanimously).
B.Merits of the complaint
1.Periods to be taken into consideration
Starting-point: lodging of applications with the Fermo bankruptcy judge.
End: striking out (first proceedings) - deposit of judgment with the Fermo District Court (second proceedings).
Total: respectively almost eleven years and ten years and ten months.
2.Applicable criteria
Conduct of the authorities: judge responsible for preparing the case for trial (second proceedings) waited more than three years before authorising the liquidator to join the proceedings - transfer of this judge entailed a stay of more than three years in preparation for trial in both cases. Any attempt by the applicants to expedite the proceedings would have been bound to fail. Judge had never refused applications for adjournment by liquidator and plaintiffs.
Conclusion: violation (unanimously).
II.ARTICLE 8 OF THE CONVENTION AND ARTICLE 2 OF PROTOCOL N° 4
Not necessary to determine these complaints regard being had to the finding in relation to Article 6 § 1.
Conclusion: unnecessary to examine these complaints (unanimously).
III.ARTICLE 50 OF THE CONVENTION
A.Damage: claims allowed in part.
B.Costs and expenses: before the Convention institutions: reimbursed in part.
Conclusion: State to pay applicants specified sums (unanimously).
© Council of Europe/European Court of Human Rights
This summary by the Registry does not bind the Court.
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