FIRST SECTION
DECISION
Application no. 46256/22
Zsuzsanna TAKÁCS and Others
against Hungary
(see appended table)
The European Court of Human Rights (First Section), sitting on 4 May 2023 as a Committee composed of:
Alena Poláčková, President,
Gilberto Felici,
Raffaele Sabato, judges,
and Attila Teplán, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,
Having regard to the above application lodged on 21 September 2022,
Having regard to the declaration submitted by the respondent Government requesting the Court to strike the application 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 were represented by Mr I. Barbalics, a lawyer practising in Budapest.
The applicants’ complaints under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention concerning the excessive length of civil proceedings were communicated to the Hungarian Government (“the Government”).
THE LAW
After unsuccessful friendly-settlement negotiations, the Government informed the Court that they proposed to make unilateral declaration with a view to resolving the issues raised by these complaints. They further requested the Court to strike out the application in accordance with Article 37 of the Convention.
The Government acknowledged the excessive length of civil proceedings. 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 this amount within the above-mentioned three-month period, the Government undertook to pay simple interest on it, 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 were sent the terms of the Government’s unilateral declaration several weeks before the date of this decision. The Court has not received a response from the applicants accepting the terms of the declaration.
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 case 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 excessive length of civil proceedings (see, for example, Gazsó v. Hungary, no. 48322/12, 16 July 2015).
Noting the admissions contained in the Government’s declaration 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 application (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 application (Article 37 § 1 in fine).
Finally, the Court emphasises that, should the Government fail to comply with the terms of their unilateral declaration, the application may be restored to the list in accordance with Article 37 § 2 of the Convention (Josipović v. Serbia (dec.), no. 18369/07, 4 March 2008).
In view of the above, it is appropriate to strike the case out of the list.
For these reasons, the Court, unanimously,
Takes note of the terms of the respondent Government’s declaration and of the arrangements for ensuring compliance with the undertakings referred to therein;
Decides to strike the application out of its list of cases in accordance with Article 37 § 1 (c) of the Convention.
Done in English and notified in writing on 25 May 2023.
Attila Teplán Alena Poláčková
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
Representative’s name and location
Date of receipt of Government’s declaration
Date of receipt of applicant’s comments, if any
Amount awarded for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage and costs and expenses
per applicant/household
(in euros)[1]
46256/22
21/09/2022
(97 applicants)
Zsuzsanna TAKÁCS
1954
Jánosné ACÉL
1930
Istvánné AMBRUS
1952
Zoltán AMBRUS
1942
Mihály BAGI
1956
István BARBALICS
1955
Zsolt BEGALA
1960
József BELSŐ
1946
György BESENYEI
1944
Zsuzsanna BESSENYEI
1956
Tamás BIRÓ
1982
Istvánné BÍRÓ
1941
József BORKA
1970
Józsefné BUJDOSÓ
1945
Sarolta BUKOVSZKINÉ LENDÉR
1939
Jánosné CSABANKÓ
1936
Mártonné CSÁNYI
1935
Péter Sándor DARU
1947
Gábor DELI
1971
Borbála ECSEDYNÉ RÉVFALVI
1951
Zoltán ÉVINGER
1934
Ágnes Erzsébet FEKÉNÉ LÉVAI
1943
Zsolt Györgyné FEKETE
1957
Éva Anna FERENCZI
1951
Péter GÁSPÁR
1975
Péter GIDAI
1947
Istvánné GÖRÖG
1948
Béla GYÖRGY
1943
Imre GYURIK
1945
Elemérné GYURINDÁK
1926
Ilona Mária HOCKNÉ NAGY
1946
István HOLLER
1950
Pál HOLLÓ
1940
Erzsébet HOMOKINÉ BARACSKAI
1960
Istvánné HORVÁTH
1942
Mihály HORVÁTH
1957
Sándor JÁNOS
1952
Zoltán JANOVICS
1951
Albert JUHÁSZ
1942
Györgyné KAPOSVÁRI
1948
Zsuzsanna KARVALICSNÉ MOLNÁR
1952
Gábor KÉKESI
1957
Gyula KEMPF
1947
Zsuzsanna Paula KÉVAI
1949
Andrea KIRÁLYNÉ SÁNDOR
1978
Imréné KISS
1940
József KISS
1932
Lászlóné KŐRÖSI
1944
Lászlóné KÓSA
1943
Éva KRISTÓF
1939
Erzsébet LUGOSINÉ KOLESZÁR
1957
Béláné LUKÁCS
1946
Miklós Mihály MAKAI
1929
Julianna MAROSI
1940
Zoltánné MÁTYÁS
1950
Ferenc Józsefné MIHALIK
1944
Attiláné MOHÁCSI
1946
József NAGY
1937
Ágnes NÉMETH
1983
István Lászlóné NÉMETH
1946
Györgyné ORGOVÁNY
1940
Gyula Álmos OROSZ
1940
Gyula Tibor OROSZ
1964
Béla PAJOR
1937
Ilona PÁLFINÉ BARANKOVICS
1939
Ferencné PÁLINKÁS
1966
Ákos PILISSY
1958
Béla REHOROVSZKY
1947
Gabriella RÉVAY
1952
Zoltánné RÉVAY
1929
Judit RIBÁNÉ PINTÉR
1964
Lászlóné SÁNDOR
1953
Árpádné SÁRDI
1968
Rita SCHWARCZBAUER
1976
Éva Mária SUDÁR
1953
Istvánné SZABÓ
1946
Istvánné SZALONTAI
1953
Lászlóné SZEMLER
1938
Dóra TÁNCZOSNÉ SZATHMÁRY
1985
András TELCS
1956
Judit TENGERDINÉ BALOG
1947
Attila TERMES
1941
Pálné TÖRKÖLY
1938
Marianne Erzsébet TOPERCZER
1953
Vilmosné TÖRÖK
1946
Balázs TÓTH
1972
Imre TÓTH
1939
Józsefné TÓTH
1944
Sándor TÓTH
1936
Ágoston TRAPP
1934
Istvánné TURI
1940
József Ádám VARGA
1947
László VEBER
1934
Household
András BAKÓ
1977
Györgyné BAKÓ
1946
Household
Antal ZAKARIÁS
1931
Antalné ZAKARIÁS
1930
Barbalics István
Budapest
20/02/2023
12/03/2023
2,000
[1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicant