FIRST SECTION
DECISION
This version was rectified on 19 February 2019
under Rule 81 of the Rules of Court.
Application no. 31757/12
Robert Cezary PRZYBYLSKI against Poland
and 86 other applications
(see list appended)
The European Court of Human Rights (First Section), sitting on 6 November 2018 as a Committee composed of:
Ksenija Turković, President,
Krzysztof Wojtyczek,
Pauliine Koskelo, judges,
and Abel Campos, 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 on 20 February and 7 June 2018 requesting the Court to strike the applications out of the list of cases and the applicants’ reply to that declaration,
Having deliberated, decides as follows:
FACTS AND PROCEDURE
1. A list of the applicants is set out in the appendix.
2. The Polish Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agent, Ms J. Chrzanowska, and subsequently by Mr J. Sobczak, of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
3. All the applicants complained under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention about the excessive length of proceedings in their cases and under Article 13 of the Convention about the lack of, or insufficient, redress for the excessive length of proceedings granted to them by the national courts.
4. The applications were communicated to the Government.
5. By letters dated 20 February and 7 June 2018 the Government informed the Court that they proposed to make a declaration with a view to resolving the issues raised by the applications. In each case the Government acknowledged a violation of Article 6 § 1 on account of the excessive length of proceedings and violation of Article 13 on account of the lack of an effective remedy, securing sufficient redress for a violation of Article 6 § 1. They offered payment of sums specified in respect of each applicant in a table appended to their declarations. The Government further undertook to adopt a range of general measures in respect of other persons who were victims of similar violations or might be affected by similar violations in the future. The sums referred to above, which are specified in the appendix to the decision, are to cover any pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage as well as costs and expenses, will be free of any taxes that may be applicable. They will be payable within three months from the date of notification of the decision taken by the Court pursuant to Article 37 § 1 of the Convention. In the event of failure to pay these sums within the said three-month period, the Government undertook to pay simple interest on each of them, from expiry of that period until settlement, at a rate equal to the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank during the default periods plus three percentage points. In addition, the Government made a declaration on general measures to be adopted in implementation of the Rutkowski and Others pilot judgment (see Rutkowski and Others v. Poland, nos. 72287/10 and 2 others, 7 July 2015). They further requested the Court to strike out the applications in accordance with Article 37 of the Convention.
6. On various dates in 2018 the Court received letters from the applicants informing the Court that they had all agreed to the terms of the Government’s declarations.
THE LAW
7. Having regard to the similar subject matter of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single decision.
8. The Court finds that following the applicants’ express agreement to the terms of declarations made by the Government the cases should be treated as a friendly settlement between the parties.
9. The Court has already examined the unilateral declarations submitted by the Government in the pilot-judgment procedure in the case Rutkowski and Others (cited above). It found that, in view of the amounts proposed by the Government in their unilateral declarations on the individual measures of redress, there have been no circumstances regarding respect for human rights as defined in the Convention and its Protocols which would require the continued examination of the cases where a friendly settlement has been concluded (see Załuska and Rogalska v. Poland and 398 other applications (dec.), nos. 53491/10 and 72286/10, § 37, 20 June 2017). It has also been satisfied that, having regard to the general measures taken or to be taken in the future by the respondent Government, the settlement was based on “respect for human rights” as interpreted in the context of the pilot‑judgment procedure (see ibid, § 45).
10. The same conclusions apply to the instant cases. The Court therefore takes note of the friendly settlements reached between the parties. It is satisfied that the settlements are based on respect for human rights as defined in the Convention and its Protocols and finds no reasons to justify a continued examination of the applications.
11. In view of the above, it is appropriate to strike the cases out of the list.
For these reasons, the Court, unanimously,
Decides to join the applications;
Decides to strike the applications out of its list of cases pursuant to Article 39 of the Convention.
Done in English and notified in writing on 29 November 2018.
Abel CamposKsenija Turković
RegistrarPresident
APPENDIX
No.
Application no.
Lodged on
Applicant
Date of birth
Place of residence
Represented by
Amount proposed in Unilateral Declaration
31757/12
23/04/2012
Robert Cezary PRZYBYLSKI
06/08/1970
Przytuły Stare
PLN 8,140
65365/14
26/09/2014
Jan WOŹNIAK
23/02/1948
Konin
Tomasz GAJDA
PLN 9,360
11778/15
14/06/2016
Ryszard LIPCZYŃSKI
03/04/1979
Przemyśl
Sebastian KOTUŁA
PLN 18,110
23922/15
12/05/2015
Celina WITKOWSKA
28/02/1969
Legnica
PLN 7,800 for the first set of proceedings
and
PLN 15,600 for the second set of proceedings
24232/15
11/05/2015
Urszula BADEŁEK-SZABELKA
28/09/1968
Gdańsk
PLN 9,360
27525/15
16/10/2015
Jarosław KACPRZAK
01/04/1981
Lublin
PLN 16,720
28757/15
01/06/2012
Tomasz BOGUCKI
09/06/1981
Częstochowa
PLN 5,520
34014/15
01/07/2015
Piotr Ryszard DEC
07/07/1966
Rzeszów
PLN 27,840
34869/15
24/06/2015
Tomasz DUBOWSKI
23/12/1970
Jelenia Góra
PLN 6,240
39292/15
30/07/2015
Bogdan GASIŃSKI
02/11/1971
Wołów
PLN 24,460
39794/15
28/08/2015
Krzysztof WYSMUŁEK
13/05/1973
Gdańsk
PLN 12,240
44279/15
03/09/2015
Józef KUŚNIEREK
04/05/1949
Jelcz-Laskowice
PLN 34,320
44519/15
21/08/2015
Wojciech Arkadiusz WASIELEWSKI
12/06/1987
Goleniów
PLN 6,180
44904/15
02/09/2015
Piotr KACZMAREK
29/06/1975
Boniewo
PLN 16,210
46835/15
16/09/2015
Tomasz LANGE
04/05/1979
Koronowo
PLN 12,480
48446/15
24/09/2015
BIOREC SP. Z O.O.
Warszawa
Paweł TOKARSKI
PLN 7,800
48452/15
23/09/2015
Olga IWANIUK
21/05/1964
Warszawa
Piotr IWANIUK
09/08/1969
Warszawa
Monika GĄSIOROWSKA
PLN 15,600 jointly to all applicants
51443/15
09/10/2015
Krzysztof LEFFELBEIN
11/03/1969
Łódź
Weronika LEFFELBEIN
PLN 9,360
55340/15
30/10/2015
Dorota JASIŃSKA
29/10/1966
Kraków
PLN 8,985 set of proceedings and
PLN 3,900 for the second set of proceedings
58076/15
13/11/2015
Andrzej VOIGT
01/10/1966
Nadarzyn
Andrzej DRANIA
PLN 28,560
59338/15
24/11/2015
Piotr Jerzy SMENDA
28/04/1960
Warszawa
PLN 5,070
60732/15
27/11/2015
Robert Zdzisław SZAMBOROWSKI
03/09/1974
Przytuły Stare
PLN 10,480
60843/15
01/12/2015
Robert GRAJEK
02/03/1971
Gdynia
Magdalena PACIORKOWSKA
PLN 5,800
62477/15
11/12/2015
Dariusz KARCZYK
11/02/1972
Inowrocław
PLN 18,160
62951/15
15/12/2015
Jarosław JADCZAK
23/12/1975
Warszawa
PLN 15,440
63042/15
17/12/2015
Jacek Piotr CEMPEL
11/09/1981
Łódź
PLN 12,360
1526/16
15/12/2015
Przemysław Rafał BORECKI
17/12/1977
Warszawa
PLN 13,520
1700/16
22/12/2015
Zbigniew DUDZIK
22/11/1962
Tarnów
PLN 18,160
2430/16
28/11/2015
Iwona KACZMAREK
22/04/1975
Otmianowo
PLN 19,370
6645/16
25/01/2016
Mariola LEŚNIAK
09/02/1961
Sosnowiec
PLN 12,480
9359/16
11/02/2016
‘SKORPION’ L.NIEMIEC, I.LASZUK SP.J.
Białystok
Zofia DANISZEWSKA-DEK
PLN 12,360
10806/16
09/02/2016
Łukasz PROKOP
21/12/1988
Męcka Wola
PLN 9,360
15201/16
14/03/2016
Andrzej ZWIERZ
07/07/1964
Lublin
Sebastian KOTUŁA
PLN 12,110
20003/16
29/03/2016
Aleksander CZUKOWICZ
13/05/1970
Iwacewicze, Białoruś
PLN 6,240
21839/16
12/04/2016
Leszek PIĄTKOWSKI
04/12/1945
Nowy Sącz
Maria Krystyna PIĄTKOWSKA
PLN 39,750
23158/16
11/04/2016
Andrzej WŁODARCZYK
24/12/1970
Strzelce Opolskie
PLN 7,720
23364/16
14/09/2016
Robert HOC
25/11/1963
Tuchorza
PLN 37,400
24003/16
21/04/2016
Kazimiera LEKS
24/11/1936
Kraków
Małgorzata LEKS
PLN 31,670
24027/16
03/10/2016
Justyna KRUCZEK
26/03/1976
Gdańsk
PLN 24,460
24974/16
09/04/2016
Mateusz Janusz UŻAROWSKI
20/11/1969
Hirtenberg
PLN 6,240
26196/16
14/07/2016
Adrian WRÓBLEWSKI
21/07/1976
Włocławek
PLN 6,240
27677/16
27/04/2016
Damian DAWID
05/03/1984
Wrocław
PLN 15,130
28144/16
12/05/2016
Agnieszka GUSTAW
16/08/1986
Lublin
PLN 16,530
33615/16
06/06/2016
Danuta KUCZYŃSKA
26/03/1950
Pruszków
PLN 35,560
35728/16
15/06/2016
Agnieszka GRUSZCZYŃSKA
30/04/1970
Szczecin
Dariusz Jan BABSKI
PLN 24,210
35801/16
15/06/2016
Patrycja Małgorzata BIAŁEK-MAMCZAK
08/03/1974
Załom
Dariusz Jan BABSKI
PLN 24,210
36246/16
10/06/2016
Marek DUTKIEWICZ[1]
13/09/1981
Lincoln
PLN 20,760
36303/16
17/06/2016
Lesław Jan BĄCZALSKI
24/06/1968
Szczecin
Dariusz Jan BABSKI
PLN 23,970
36443/16
17/06/2016
Sławomir MARCIŃCZYK
03/01/1968
Szczecin
Dariusz Jan BABSKI
PLN 24,210
36487/16
15/06/2016
Jan WOŹNIAK
30/05/1969
Szczecin
Dariusz Jan BABSKI
PLN 24,210
36492/16
15/06/2016
Ryszard WIDUTA
21/10/1970
Szczecin
Dariusz Jan BABSKI
PLN 24,210
37034/16
20/06/2016
Grzegorz ŚLĘCZKA
13/11/1963
Chełm
PLN 16,220
37118/16
20/06/2016
Robert CZERWONKO
08/05/1965
Chełm
PLN 16,220
38564/16
29/06/2016
Krystian Paweł GABRYŚ
04/04/1982
Kamińsk
PLN 12,480
44287/16
26/07/2016
Dariusz MISZCZAK
17/02/1969
Chełm
PLN 13,190
44901/16
26/07/2016
Artur STUDZIŃSKI
25/07/1997
Poznań
PLN 24,960
47203/16
23/07/2016
Jerzy ŁYKO
19/03/1961
Goleniów
PLN 9,360
48218/16
01/08/2016
Artur WAGNER
06/07/1989
Łódź
PLN 9,070
50085/16
10/08/2016
Maria Bożena BOROWSKA
01/02/1960
Bolesławiec
PLN 14,050
55196/16
13/09/2016
Radosław KUCHARSKI
02/05/1979
Żytkowice
Łukasz CHOJNIAK
PLN 15,600
55478/16
15/09/2016
Leszek PAWLAK
08/02/1964
Lublin
Sebastian KOTUŁA
PLN 18,160
56400/16
20/09/2016
Tomasz MIKULEWICZ
09/07/1968
Gdańsk
PLN 12,110
56447/16
13/09/2016
Krystian GĘBSKI
14/02/1981
Kłodzko
PLN 15,600
57950/16
27/01/2017
Sebastian PAWLICA
22/03/1978
Sieraków Śląski
PLN 7,800
57996/16
23/09/2016
Aneta ZARZYCKA
18/03/1974
Warszawa
Artur TEPEREK
PLN 10,370
58925/16
03/10/2016
Łukasz MIZERA
20/12/1985
Wronki
PLN 7,570
60012/16
06/10/2016
Łukasz KARCZEWSKI
17/06/1985
Warszawa
Monika GĄSIOROWSKA
PLN 16,720
61669/16
10/10/2016
Malgorzata WALAK
21/06/1971
Lublin
Anna GUŁOWSKA
26/02/1948
Lublin
Monika GĄSIOROWSKA
PLN 43,040 to M. Walak
and
PLN 43,040 to A. Gułowska
62095/16
17/10/2016
Paweł ŻBIKOWSKI
06/12/1971
Chełm
PLN 16,220
62215/16
21/10/2016
Artur BOĆWIŃSKI
30/07/1965
Chełm
PLN 16,220
70603/16
18/11/2016
Halina ŁOŚ
14/04/1952
Warszawa
PLN 42,370
75049/16
29/11/2016
Artur ROMAŃCZUK
03/01/1974
Chełm
PLN 16,220
77689/16
03/12/2016
Agata MICHAŁKIEWICZ
05/09/1971
Zamość
PLN 26,060
1752/17
05/12/2011
Michał JARMUŻ
16/11/1966
Piotrków Trybunalski
PLN 27,520
2877/17
30/12/2016
Tymoteusz BULAK
12/08/1967
Wrocław
Marcin HAŚKO
PLN 18,460
4313/17
13/12/2016
Kamil ŁUCZAK
15/06/1987
Łęczyca
PLN 4,800
6977/17
12/01/2017
Angelika WOLMAN
15/02/1977
Warszawa
Agata DOMCZYK
07/02/1945
Warszawa
Bogusław KOŃSKI
22/06/1953
Warszawa
Katarzyna WOŹNIAK-GODLEWSKA
PLN 18,720 to A. Wolman,
PLN 18,720 to A. Domczyk
PLN 18,720 to B. Koński
11871/17
25/01/2017
Michał Marcin GUHN
25/09/1983
Gliwice
PLN 5,310
17497/17
15/02/2017
Olivier PIELA[2]
13/06/1972
Racibórz
PLN 10,920
22101/17
19/04/2017
Włodzimierz DMOCH
03/04/1963
Warszawa
PLN 27,240
24246/17
20/03/2017
Bolesław GĘBARSKI
09/06/1966
Katowice
Katarzyna OLIWA
PLN 12,110
25248/17
27/03/2017
Maciej MARUSZCZYK
15/06/1952
Bydlin
PLN 10,700
29059/17
10/04/2017
Rafał PALUCHOWSKI
11/09/1980
Łowicz
PLN 4,240
32421/17
24/04/2017
Brygida BASTEK
01/01/1961
Marcinkowo
Wojciech WRZECIONKOWSKI
PLN 28,000
36496/17
11/05/2017
Magdalena JASIŃSKA
06/04/1990
Sikórz
Monika GĄSIOROWSKA
PLN 10,480
36740/17
04/05/2017
Mariusz PERLIŃSKI
23/04/1971
Katowice
PLN 19,600
38730/17
23/05/2017
Marek Tadeusz NOWAK
24/09/1959
Katowice
PLN 39,750
[1] Rectified on 19 February 2019: the text was: “Marek TYJEWSKI”
[2] Rectified on 19 February 2019: the text was: “Antoni GOŁEK”
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