Information Note on the Court’s case-law No.
February 1991
Ferraro v. Italy - 13440/87
Judgment 19.2.1991
Article 6
Article 6-1
Reasonable time
Length of criminal 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.Period to be taken into consideration
Starting-point: order for applicant's arrest.
Close: expiry of time-limit for an appeal by prosecuting authorities.
Total: nearly eight years and five months.
B.Applicable criteria
Reasonableness of length of proceedings: to be assessed in the light of the particular circumstances of the case, which in this instance called for overall assessment.
Case of some complexity, but applicant did nothing to slow down proceedings and there were periods of inactivity attributable to the competent authorities.
Conclusion: violation (unanimously).
II.ARTICLE 50 OF THE CONVENTION
Pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage: sum awarded.
Costs and expenses incurred before Convention organs: reimbursed.
Conclusion: respondent State to pay specified sums to the applicant (unanimously).
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This summary by the Registry does not bind the Court.
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