FOURTH SECTION
DECISION
Application no. 48511/15
Milovanka STJEPANOVIĆ
against Serbia
The European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section), sitting on 14 September 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 12 September 2015,
Having deliberated, decides as follows:
FACTS AND PROCEDURE
The applicant, Ms Milovanka Stjepanović, was born in 1955.
The applicant’s complaints under Article 8 of the Convention read alone and in conjunction with Article 14 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 12, concerning the Serbian authorities’ refusal to allow a change of her forename and surname, were communicated to the Serbian Government (“the Government”), who submitted their observations on the admissibility and merits of the case. These observations were forwarded to the applicant who was invited to appoint a lawyer and complete certain documents concerning legal aid and to submit her own observations in reply together with her claim for just satisfaction. No reply was received to the Registry’s letter.
By letter dated 18 March 2022, sent by registered post, the applicant was notified that the period allowed for submission of an authority form and her observations had expired on 31 January 2022 and that no extension of time had been requested. She was exceptionally given an additional opportunity to send these submissions until 29 April 2022. The applicant’s attention was drawn to Article 37 § 1 (a) of the Convention, which provides that the Court may strike an application out of its list of cases where the circumstances lead to the conclusion that the applicant does not intend to pursue the application. The applicant received that letter on 29 March 2022. However, no response has followed.
THE LAW
In the light of the foregoing, and in the absence of any special circumstances regarding respect for the rights guaranteed by the Convention and the Protocols thereto, the Court, in accordance with Article 37 § 1 (a) of the Convention, considers that it is no longer justified to continue the examination of the application.
Accordingly, the case should be struck out of the list.
For these reasons, the Court, unanimously,
Decides to strike the application out of its list of cases.
Done in English and notified in writing on 5 October 2023.
Viktoriya Maradudina Faris Vehabović
Acting Deputy Registrar President