PROCEDURE

The case originated in an application (no. 35656/97) against the Republic of Poland lodged with the European Commission of Human Rights (“the Commission”) under former Article 25 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) by a Polish national, Mrs Jadwiga Hulewicz (“the applicant”), on 10 June 1996.

The applicant was represented by Mrs M. Zawitkowska, a lawyer practising in Słupsk, Poland. The Polish Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agents, Mr K. Drzewicki and subsequently Mr J. Wołąsiewicz of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The applicant alleged, in particular, that her case had not been heard within a reasonable time in breach of Article 6 § 1 of the Convention.

The application was transmitted to the Court on 1 November 1998, when Protocol No. 11 to the Convention came into force (Article 5 § 2 of Protocol No. 11).

The application was allocated to the Fourth Section of the Court (Rule 52 § 1 of the Rules of Court). Within that Section, the Chamber that would consider the case (Article 27 § 1 of the Convention) was constituted as provided in Rule 26 § 1.

On 1 November 2001 the Court changed the composition of its Sections (Rule 25 § 1). This case was assigned to the newly composed Fourth Section (Rule 52 § 1).

By a decision of 12 November 2002 the Court declared the application admissible.

THE FACTS

I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE

The applicant is a Polish national who was born in 1952 and lives in Lębork, Poland.

On 23 May 1990 the applicant acquired the right to a long-term lease of a flat (spółdzielcze lokatorskie prawo do lokalu) in a building owned by the Lębork Housing Co-operative (Spółdzielnia Mieszkaniowa).

On 22 July 1993 the co-operative sued the applicant in the Lębork District Court (Sąd Rejonowy), seeking payment. On 25 October 1993 the court gave judgment and granted the claim. The applicant appealed against this judgment. On 19 January 1994 the Słupsk Regional Court (Sąd Wojewódzki) amended the first-instance judgment.

Subsequently, the applicant twice requested the Minister of Justice to grant her leave to file an extraordinary appeal with the Supreme Court (Sąd Najwyższy). Her first request was rejected on 10 October 1994.

On 31 January 1997, upon the applicant’s second request, the Minister of Justice filed a cassation appeal on the applicant’s behalf, contesting the judgment of the Słupsk Regional Court of 19 January 1994.

On 29 April 1997 the Supreme Court quashed both judgments given in the applicant’s case and remitted the case to the court of first instance. It held that the lower courts had committed serious errors of fact and law.

On 28 October 1997 the Lębork District Court joined the applicant’s case with similar proceedings against seven other members of the co‑operative.

On 19 March 1998 the court held a hearing.

On 8 May 1998 the court ordered that expert evidence be obtained.

On 9 June 1998 the court exempted the applicant from half of the court fees due. The applicant appealed. On 29 December 1998 the Słupsk Regional Court rejected her appeal.

On 29 February 2000 the trial court ordered that further expert evidence be obtained. On 19 May 2000 the expert submitted his report to the court. On 4 October 2000 the applicant challenged the expert’s opinion of 19 May 2000.

On 5 October 2000 the court held a hearing and listed the next hearing for 17 October 2000.

On 1 March 2002 the District Court gave judgment. On 8 April 2002 the applicant appealed against this judgment.

It appears that the proceedings are pending.
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-61682_a1_e1
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CODE
DIRECT
35656/97
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correct
001-61682_a1_e2
001-61682_a1_em2
ORG
NO_MASK
Republic of Poland
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insert
001-61682_a1_e3
001-61682_a1_em3
DEM
NO_MASK
Polish
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001-61682_a1_e4
001-61682_a1_em4
PERSON
DIRECT
Mrs Jadwiga Hulewicz
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DATETIME
QUASI
10 June 1996
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PERSON
QUASI
Mrs M. Zawitkowska
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001-61682_a1_e7
001-61682_a1_em7
LOC
QUASI
Słupsk, Poland
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insert
001-61682_a1_e8
001-61682_a1_em8
ORG
NO_MASK
Polish Government
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001-61682_a1_em9
PERSON
QUASI
Mr K. Drzewicki
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PERSON
QUASI
Mr J. Wołąsiewicz
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001-61682_a1_em11
DATETIME
QUASI
12 November 2002
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001-61682_a1_em12
DEM
NO_MASK
Polish
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001-61682_a1_e12
001-61682_a1_em13
DATETIME
QUASI
1952
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LOC
QUASI
Lębork, Poland
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001-61682_a1_e14
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DATETIME
QUASI
23 May 1990
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001-61682_a1_e15
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ORG
QUASI
Lębork Housing Co-operative (Spółdzielnia Mieszkaniowa)
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001-61682_a1_e16
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DATETIME
QUASI
22 July 1993
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ORG
QUASI
Lębork District Court (Sąd Rejonowy)
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DATETIME
QUASI
25 October 1993
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DATETIME
QUASI
19 January 1994
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001-61682_a1_em21
ORG
QUASI
Słupsk Regional Court (Sąd Wojewódzki)
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001-61682_a1_e21
001-61682_a1_em22
DEM
NO_MASK
Minister of Justice
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001-61682_a1_em23
ORG
NO_MASK
Supreme Court (Sąd Najwyższy)
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001-61682_a1_e23
001-61682_a1_em24
DATETIME
QUASI
10 October 1994
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DATETIME
QUASI
31 January 1997
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DEM
NO_MASK
Minister of Justice
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001-61682_a1_em27
ORG
QUASI
001-61682_a1_em21
Słupsk Regional Court
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DATETIME
QUASI
19 January 1994
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001-61682_a1_em29
DATETIME
QUASI
29 April 1997
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001-61682_a1_e22
001-61682_a1_em30
ORG
NO_MASK
001-61682_a1_em23
Supreme Court
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001-61682_a1_e26
001-61682_a1_em31
DATETIME
QUASI
28 October 1997
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001-61682_a1_e17
001-61682_a1_em32
ORG
QUASI
001-61682_a1_em18
Lębork District Court
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001-61682_a1_e27
001-61682_a1_em33
QUANTITY
QUASI
seven other members of the co‑operative
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DATETIME
QUASI
19 March 1998
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DATETIME
QUASI
8 May 1998
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DATETIME
QUASI
9 June 1998
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001-61682_a1_e31
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DATETIME
QUASI
29 December 1998
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001-61682_a1_e20
001-61682_a1_em38
ORG
QUASI
Słupsk Regional Court
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001-61682_a1_e32
001-61682_a1_em39
DATETIME
QUASI
29 February 2000
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QUASI
19 May 2000
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001-61682_a1_e34
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QUASI
4 October 2000
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QUASI
19 May 2000
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5 October 2000
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QUASI
17 October 2000
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DATETIME
QUASI
1 March 2002
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001-61682_a1_e38
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DATETIME
QUASI
8 April 2002
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001-61682_a4_e1
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CODE
DIRECT
35656/97
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-61682_a4_e2
001-61682_a4_em2
ORG
NO_MASK
Republic of Poland
ETHNIC
insert
001-61682_a4_e3
001-61682_a4_em3
DEM
NO_MASK
Polish national
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PERSON
DIRECT
Mrs Jadwiga Hulewicz
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DATETIME
QUASI
10 June 1996
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PERSON
QUASI
Mrs M. Zawitkowska
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LOC
QUASI
Słupsk, Poland
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001-61682_a4_e8
001-61682_a4_em8
ORG
NO_MASK
Polish Government
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001-61682_a4_em9
PERSON
NO_MASK
Mr K. Drzewicki
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001-61682_a4_em10
PERSON
QUASI
Mr J. Wołąsiewicz
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001-61682_a4_em11
ORG
NO_MASK
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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DATETIME
NO_MASK
1 November 1998
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DATETIME
NO_MASK
1 November 2001
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001-61682_a4_em14
DATETIME
QUASI
12 November 2002
ETHNIC
check
001-61682_a4_e3
001-61682_a4_em15
DEM
NO_MASK
Polish national
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001-61682_a4_e15
001-61682_a4_em16
DATETIME
QUASI
1952
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LOC
QUASI
Lębork, Poland
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DATETIME
QUASI
23 May 1990
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ORG
QUASI
Lębork Housing
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001-61682_a4_e18
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ORG
NO_MASK
001-61682_a4_em19
Spółdzielnia Mieszkaniowa
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001-61682_a4_e19
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DATETIME
QUASI
22 July 1993
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ORG
QUASI
Lębork District Court (Sąd Rejonowy)
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QUASI
25 October 1993
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QUASI
19 January 1994
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001-61682_a4_e23
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ORG
QUASI
Słupsk Regional Court (Sąd Wojewódzki)
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001-61682_a4_e24
001-61682_a4_em26
ORG
NO_MASK
Minister of Justice
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001-61682_a4_e25
001-61682_a4_em27
ORG
NO_MASK
Supreme Court (Sąd Najwyższy)
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001-61682_a4_em28
DATETIME
QUASI
10 October 1994
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DATETIME
QUASI
31 January 1997
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001-61682_a4_e24
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ORG
NO_MASK
Minister of Justice
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ORG
QUASI
001-61682_a4_em25
Słupsk Regional Court
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DATETIME
QUASI
19 January 1994
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QUASI
29 April 1997
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ORG
NO_MASK
001-61682_a4_em27
Supreme Court
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DATETIME
QUASI
28 October 1997
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001-61682_a4_e20
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ORG
QUASI
001-61682_a4_em22
Lębork District Court
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DATETIME
QUASI
19 March 1998
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8 May 1998
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9 June 1998
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29 December 1998
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Słupsk Regional Court
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29 February 2000
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19 May 2000
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4 October 2000
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19 May 2000
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5 October 2000
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17 October 2000
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1 March 2002
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NO_MASK
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District Court
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8 April 2002
Jadwiga Hulewicz
POL
CHAMBER
Task: Annotate the document to anonymise the following person: Jadwiga Hulewicz