FOURTH SECTION
DECISION
Application no. 9680/21
Goran ŠEKULARAC and Darko ŠEKULARAC
against Serbia
(see appended table)
The European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section), sitting on 23 November 2023 as a Committee composed of:
Faris Vehabović, President,
Anja Seibert-Fohr,
Anne Louise Bormann, judges,
and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,
Having regard to the above application lodged on 8 February 2021,
Having regard to the declaration submitted by the respondent Government requesting the Court to strike the application out of the list of cases, and the applicants’ replies to this declaration,
Having deliberated, decides as follows:
FACTS AND PROCEDURE
The list of applicants is set out in the appended table.
The applicants were represented by Mr D. Puđa, a lawyer practising in Belgrade.
The applicants’ complaints under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention concerning the excessive length of constitutional proceedings were communicated to the Serbian Government (“the Government”).
After unsuccessful friendly-settlement negotiations, the Government submitted a declaration with a view to resolving the issues raised by these complaints. They further requested the Court to strike out the application.
The Government acknowledged that there had been a violation of the applicants’ rights under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention. They offered to pay the applicants the amounts detailed in the appended table and invited the Court to strike the application out of the list of cases in accordance with Article 37 § 1 (c) of the Convention. The amounts would be converted into the currency of the respondent State at the rate applicable on the date of payment and 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 payment will constitute the final resolution of the case.
The applicants informed the Court that they agreed to the terms of the declaration.
THE LAW
The Court finds that, following the applicants’ express agreement to the terms of the declaration made by the Government, the case should be treated as a friendly settlement between the parties.
It therefore takes note of the friendly settlement reached between the parties. It is satisfied that the settlement is based on respect for human rights as defined in the Convention and the Protocols thereto and finds no reasons to justify the continued examination of the application.
In view of the above, it is appropriate to strike the case out of the list.
For these reasons, the Court, unanimously,
Decides to strike the application out of its list of cases in accordance with Article 39 of the Convention.
Done in English and notified in writing on 14 December 2023.
Viktoriya Maradudina Faris Vehabović
Acting Deputy Registrar President
APPENDIX
Application raising complaints under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention
(excessive length of civil proceedings)
Application no.
Date of introduction
Applicant’s name
Year of birth
Date of receipt of Government’s declaration
Date of receipt of applicant’s acceptance
Amount awarded for non-pecuniary damage per household (in euros)[1] [2]
Amount awarded for costs and expenses per application
(in euros)[3]
9680/21
08/02/2021
Household
Goran ŠEKULARAC
1966
Darko ŠEKULARAC
1968
21/04/2023
25/05/2023
1,350
250
[1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.
[2] Less any amounts which may have already been paid in that regard at the domestic level.
[3] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.
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