Information Note on the Court’s case-law No.
July 1997
Torri v. Italy - 26433/95
Judgment 1.7.1997
Article 6
Civil proceedings
Criminal proceedings
Article 6-1
Reasonable time
Length of two consecutive sets of proceedings, first criminal proceedings joined by means of a civil party application then civil proceedings for damages: violation
[This summary is extracted from the Court’s official reports (Series A or Reports of Judgments and Decisions). Its formatting and structure may therefore differ from the Case-Law Information Note summaries.]
I.ARTICLE 6 § 1 OF THE CONVENTION ("REASONABLE TIME")
A.Government's preliminary objection (application submitted out of time)
Close link between action for damages and proceedings joined by applicant as civil party - by date of adoption of judgment Court had received no information about adoption of the final domestic decision.
Conclusion: objection dismissed (unanimously).
B.Merits of complaint
1.Period to be taken into consideration
Starting-point: lodging of civil party application in criminal proceedings.
End: proceedings for damages pending.
Total: already nearly eighteen years.
2.Applicable criteria
Criminal proceedings: lasted just over seven years and two months - four years and six months then went by before start of civil proceedings, although applicant's lawyer had been served with a copy of the notice of an appeal on points of law and been notified of date of hearing for oral argument.
Civil proceedings: four years elapsed before deposit of Rome District Court's judgment with registry - in July 1996 Court of Appeal adjourned the case until June 1997.
Last two periods too long, without it being necessary to consider length of criminal proceedings and question of applicant's conduct, especially as case was not particularly complex.
Conclusion: violation (unanimously).
II.ARTICLE 50 OF CONVENTION
A.Damage: claim allowed in part.
B.Costs and expenses: claim allowed in part.
Conclusion: respondent State to pay applicant specified sums (unanimously).
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This summary by the Registry does not bind the Court.
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