FIRST SECTION
DECISION
Application no. 13949/24
Michele LIGUORI against Italy
and 2 other applications
(see appended table)
The European Court of Human Rights (First Section), sitting on 7 May 2025 as a Committee composed of:
Georgios A. Serghides, President,
Frédéric Krenc,
Alain Chablais, judges,
and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,
Having regard to the above applications lodged on the various dates indicated in the appended table,
Having regard to the declarations submitted by the respondent Government requesting the Court to strike the applications out of the list of cases,
Having deliberated, decides as follows:
FACTS AND PROCEDURE
The list of applicants is set out in the appended table.
The applicants’ complaints under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 concerning the non-enforcement or delayed enforcement of “Pinto” domestic decisions were communicated to the Italian Government (“the Government”).
THE LAW
Having regard to the similar subject matter of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single decision.
The Government informed the Court that they proposed to make unilateral declarations with a view to resolving the issues raised by these complaints. They further requested the Court to strike out the applications in accordance with Article 37 of the Convention.
The Government acknowledged the non-enforcement or delayed enforcement of “Pinto” domestic decisions. They offered to pay the applicants the amounts detailed in the appended table and invited the Court to strike the applications out of the list of cases in accordance with Article 37 § 1 (c) of the Convention. The amounts would be payable within three months from the date of notification of the Court’s decision. In the event of failure to pay these amounts within the above-mentioned three-month period, the Government undertook to pay simple interest on them, from the expiry of that period until settlement, at a rate equal to the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank during the default period plus three percentage points. The Government also undertook to ensure the enforcement of the domestic decisions under consideration in the cases concerned (see appended table) within the same three-month period, and to pay any costs of the domestic enforcement proceedings.
The payment and the enforcement of the domestic decisions in the cases concerned will constitute the final resolution of the cases.
The applicants were sent the terms of the Government’s unilateral declarations several weeks before the date of this decision. The Court has not received a response from the applicants accepting the terms of the declarations.
The Court observes that Article 37 § 1 (c) enables it to strike a case out of its list if:
“... for any other reason established by the Court, it is no longer justified to continue the examination of the application”.
Thus, it may strike out applications under Article 37 § 1 (c) on the basis of a unilateral declaration by a respondent Government even if the applicants wish the examination of the cases to be continued (see, in particular, the Tahsin Acar v. Turkey judgment (preliminary objections) [GC], no. 26307/95, §§ 75‑77, ECHR 2003-VI).
The Court has established clear and extensive case-law concerning complaints relating to the non-enforcement or delayed enforcement of “Pinto” domestic decisions (see, for example, Gaglione and Others v. Italy, nos. 45867/07 and others, 21 December 2010, and Gagliano Giorgi v. Italy, no. 23563/07, 6 March 2012).
Noting the admissions contained in the Government’s declarations as well as the amount of compensation proposed – which is consistent with the amounts awarded in similar cases – the Court considers that it is no longer justified to continue the examination of the applications (Article 37 § 1 (c)).
In the light of the above considerations, the Court is satisfied that respect for human rights as defined in the Convention and the Protocols thereto does not require it to continue the examination of the applications (Article 37 § 1 in fine).
Finally, the Court emphasises that, should the Government fail to comply with the terms of their unilateral declarations, the applications may be restored to the list in accordance with Article 37 § 2 of the Convention (see Josipović v. Serbia (dec.), no. 18369/07, 4 March 2008).
In view of the above, it is appropriate to strike the applications out of the list of cases.
For these reasons, the Court, unanimously,
Decides to join the applications;
Takes note of the terms of the respondent Government’s declarations and of the arrangements for ensuring compliance with the undertakings referred to therein;
Decides to strike the applications out of its list of cases in accordance with Article 37 § 1 (c) of the Convention.
Done in English and notified in writing on 28 May 2025.
Viktoriya Maradudina Georgios A. Serghides
Acting Deputy Registrar President
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 Pinto domestic decisions)
No.
Application no.
Date of introduction
Applicant’s name
Year of birth
Representative’s name and location
Date of receipt of Government’s declaration
Date of receipt of applicant’s comments, if any
Amount awarded for
non-pecuniary damage
per applicant (in euros)[1]
Amount awarded for costs and expenses per application
(in euros)[2]
13949/24
12/04/2024
Michele LIGUORI
1958
Liguori Vincenzo
Naples
03/02/2025
-
200
30
15449/24
15/05/2024
(10 applicants)
Maria TROTTA
1952
Raffaele BIRNARDO
1948
Maura CARTOCCI
1940
Maria CIPOLLA
1950
Ivana Patrizia CONTARINO
1961
Maria Celeste DE PROPHETIS
1968
Vittorio IDA
1942
Franca MANCINI
1951
Antonella PERSI
1950
Cosimo Antonio ZANGARA
1943
Abbate Ferdinando Emilio
Rome
03/02/2025
-
200
30
19773/24
22/06/2024
(12 applicants)
Bruno PALMA
1966
Angelo ARDITO
1959
Antonio ARDITO
1975
Gerardino CHIARIOTTI
1969
Giovanni DE GRUTTOLA
1943
Giovanna DE SILVO
1970
Vincenzo DE SILVO
1975
Rosario DEL VECCHIO
1961
Lucia DI CARLO
1948
Antonio IODICE
1947
Carmine LI PIZZI
1950
Luigi VENE
1966
Marcellino Cosimo
Bénévent
03/02/2025
04/03/2025
200
30
[1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants
[2] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants