EUROPEAN COMMISSION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
FIRST CHAMBER
Application No. 21985/93
Elisabeth Girardi
against
Austria
REPORT OF THE COMMISSION
(adopted on 5 December 1995)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
PART I : STATEMENT OF THE FACTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
PART II : SOLUTION REACHED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
INTRODUCTION
1. The present Report concerns Application No. 21985/93 introduced
on 10 April 1993 against Austria and registered on 7 June 1993.
The Government of Austria were represented by their Agent,
Ambassador F. Cede, Head of the International Law Department at the
Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
2. On 17 May 1995, the Commission (First Chamber) declared the
applicant's complaint about the length of civil proceedings
admissible. It then proceeded to carry out its task under Article 28
para. 1 of the Convention which provides as follows:
"In the event of the Commission accepting a petition referred to
it:
a. it shall, with a view to ascertaining the facts, undertake
together with the representatives of the parties an examination
of the petition and, if need be, an investigation, for the
effective conduct of which the States concerned shall furnish all
necessary facilities, after an exchange of views with the
Commission;
b. it shall at the same time place itself at the disposal of
the parties concerned with a view to securing a friendly
settlement of the matter on the basis of respect for Human Rights
as defined in this Convention."
3. The Commission (First Chamber) found that the parties had reached
a friendly settlement of the case and on 5 December 1995 it adopted
this Report, which, in accordance with Article 28 para. 2 of the
Convention, is confined to a brief statement of the facts and of the
solution reached.
The following members were present when the Report was adopted:
Mr. C.L. ROZAKIS, President
Mrs. J. LIDDY
MM. E. BUSUTTIL
A.S. GÖZÜBÜYÜK
A. WEITZEL
M.P. PELLONPÄÄ
B. MARXER
B. CONFORTI
N. BRATZA
I. BÉKÉS
E. KONSTANTINOV
G. RESS
A. PERENIC
C. BÎRSAN
K. HERNDL
PART I
STATEMENT OF THE FACTS
4. The applicant, born in 1951, is an Austrian citizen and living
in Vienna. The applicant is the mother of three children born in
wedlock in 1973, 1974 and 1976, respectively. The spouses separated
in 1982. The custody over the children born in 1973 and 1974 was
assigned to the applicant, the custody over the child born in 1976 to
his father.
5. On 31 December 1988 the applicant, on behalf of her children born
in 1973 and 1974, applied to the Floridsdorf District Court that her
divorced husband be ordered to increase his maintenance payments.
6. The proceedings terminated on 7 December 1993.
PART II
SOLUTION REACHED
7. Following the decision on the admissibility of the application,
the Commission (First Chamber) placed itself at the disposal of the
parties with a view to securing a friendly settlement in accordance
with Article 28 para. 1 (b) of the Convention and invited the parties
to submit any proposals they wished to make.
8. In accordance with the usual practice, the Chamber Secretary,
acting on the Commission's instructions, contacted the parties to
explore the possibilities of reaching a friendly settlement.
9. By letters of 2 and 29 November 1995, the parties submitted
identical declarations on the following agreement reached between them:
"Statements of the parties with a view of a friendly settlement With reference to Article 28 para. 1 (b) of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the parties in the proceedings concerning Application No. 21985/93, lodged by Mrs. Elisabeth Girardi, declare with a view to a friendly settlement, reached with assistance of the European Commission of Human Rights, as follows: 1. The Government of the Republic of Austria will pay to the applicant a sum amounting to AS 31,000 as compensation in respect of any possible claims relating to the present application. 2. The applicant declares her application settled. 3. The applicant waives any further claims against the Republic of Austria relating to the present application." "Erklärungen der Parteien zur gütlichen Regelung In der Individualbeschwerde Nr. 21985/93 der Frau Elisabeth Girardi verständigen sich die Parteien unter Bezugnahme auf Artikel 28 Abs. 1 b der Europäischen Konvention zum Schutze der Menschenrechte und Grundfreiheiten und unter Mitwirkung der Europäischen Kommission für Menschenrechte auf die nachstehende gütliche Regelung: 1. Die österreichische Regierung zahlt der Beschwerdeführerin als Ausgleich für sämtliche etwaige Ansprüche im Zusammenhang mit der vorliegenden Individualbeschwerde einen Gesamtbetrag von öS 31,000. 2. Die Beschwerdeführerin erklärt ihre oben genannte Beschwerde als erledigt. 3. Die Beschwerdeführerin verzichtet auf die Geltendmachung allfälliger weiterer Forderungen gegen die Republik Österreich im Zusammenhang mit dem der Beschwerde zugrundeliegenden Sachverhalt." 10. At its session on 5 December 1995 the Commission noted that the parties had reached an agreement regarding the terms of a settlement. It further considered, having regard to Article 28 para. 1 (b) of the Convention, that the friendly settlement of the case had been secured on the basis of respect for Human Rights as defined in the Convention. 11. For these reasons, the Commission adopted the present Report. Secretary to the First Chamber President of the First Chamber (M.F. BUQUICCHIO) (C.L. ROZAKIS)
Full & Egal Universal Law Academy