PROCEDURE

The case originated in an application (no. 45219/06) against the Republic of Poland lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) by a Polish national, Mr Adam Kauczor (“the applicant”), on 5 November 2006.

The applicant was represented by Mr I. Płaza, a lawyer practising in Katowice. The Polish Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agent, Mr J. Wołąsiewicz of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The applicant alleged that his pre-trial detention had exceeded a “reasonable time” within the meaning of Article 5 § 3 of the Convention. He also complained under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention of the allegedly unreasonable length of the criminal proceedings against him.

On 4 May 2007 the President of the Chamber to which the case has been allocated decided to give notice of the application to the Government. It was also decided to examine the merits of the application at the same time as its admissibility (Article 29 § 3).

THE FACTS

I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE

The applicant, Mr Adam Kauczor, is a Polish national who was born in 1967 and lives in Siemianowice Śląskie.

A. The applicant’s detention and criminal proceedings against him

On 9 February 2000 the applicant was arrested. On 10 February 2000 the Katowice District Court (Sąd Rejonowy) remanded him in custody on suspicion of murder. That decision was upheld by the Katowice Regional Court (Sąd Okręgowy) on 1 March 2000.

The applicant’s pre‑trial detention was subsequently extended by the Katowice Regional Court’s decisions of 25 April 2000, 3 July 2000 (upheld by the Katowice Court of Appeal (Sąd Apelacyjny) on 2 August 2000), and 23 April 2001.

Meanwhile, on 21 June 2000 the applicant was indicted for murder and illegal possession of weapons. The Prosecutor requested that thirty-four witnesses be heard by the trial court and the testimonies of a further one hundred and four witnesses be read out at the trial.

The first hearing was scheduled on 28 December 2000. It was adjourned, however, due to the absence of a key witness. Subsequently the court held sixty hearings. Approximately twenty hearings were cancelled or adjourned either because of the absence of the applicant’s counsel or summoned witnesses, or because of the illness of a judge.

On 26 November 2001 the Katowice Regional Court decided to extend the applicant’s detention until 30 April 2002. However that decision was changed by the Katowice Court of Appeal’s decision of 19 December 2001. The Katowice Court of Appeal agreed to continue the applicant’s detention, but only until 9 February 2002. It was held that the first‑instance court was no longer competent to extend the preventive measure, since the length of the applicant’s detention was about to reach the statutory two-year time‑limit laid down in Article 263 § 3 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Kodeks postępowania karnego).

Between 2001 and 2003 the court held a hearing every two or three months.

During this time, the applicant’s detention was extended by the Katowice Court of Appeal’s decisions of 6 February 2002 (confirmed by the same court on 13 March 2002), 15 May 2002 (upheld on 23 October 2002), 23 October 2002 (upheld on 12 March 2003), 12 March 2003 (upheld on 23 April 2003).

On 21 May 2003 the applicant’s trial commenced de novo because the judge rapporteur had retired.

The first hearing scheduled on 5 July 2003 was adjourned due to the absence of a key witness and one of the lay judges.

From the beginning of 2004 until mid‑2005 the court held on average one hearing per month.

On 16 September 2005 the President of the Criminal Section (przewodniczący wydziału) ordered that hearings be scheduled more often than once a month.

In 2006 the court scheduled twenty-three hearings, of which eleven did not take place. It appears that between January and October 2007 the court scheduled nine hearings.

Meanwhile, the applicant’s detention was extended by the Katowice Court of Appeal decisions of 23 July 2003 (upheld on 27 August 2003), 26 November 2003 (upheld on 17 December 2003), 18 February 2004 (upheld on 17 March 2004), 11 August 2004 (upheld on 25 August 2004), 24 November 2004 (upheld on 5 January 2005), 16 March 2005 (upheld on 20 April 2005), 27 July 2005 (upheld on 10 August 2005), 19 October 2005 (upheld on 23 November 2005), 25 January 2006 (upheld on 22 February 2006), 19 April 2006 (upheld on 19 May 2006), 19 July 2006 (upheld on 23 August 2006), 25 October 2006 (upheld on 15 November 2006), and 24 January 2007.

The domestic courts justified the applicant’s pre‑trial detention in its initial phase by the existence of strong evidence against the applicant and the likelihood that a severe penalty would be imposed, as well as by the need to secure the proper course of the proceedings. The latter was derived from the fact that there was a suspicion that the applicant had been aided in committing the offence charged and that the alleged accomplices were being sought by the authorities. During that time numerous witnesses were heard and an identification parade was held.

At the later stage of the applicant’s detention, the authorities relied on the complexity of the case as the reason for extending the measure. It was also emphasised that many of the scheduled court hearings did not take place for various objective reasons, such as the illness of a judge, the applicant’s request for the withdrawal of a judge, the absence of witnesses or of the applicant himself, as well as difficulties in obtaining the report of ballistic‑forensic experts as requested by the applicant at an advanced stage of the proceedings.

On 11 December 2007 the Katowice Regional Court decided to lift the preventive measure and to release the applicant. On an unspecified date that decision was upheld by the Katowice Court of Appeal.

The case is currently pending before the Katowice Regional Court as the court of first instance.

B. Proceedings under the 2004 Act

On an unspecified date in 2006 the applicant lodged a complaint about unreasonable length of proceedings under the Law of 17 June 2004 on complaints about a breach of the right to a trial within a reasonable time (Ustawa o skardze na naruszenie prawa strony do rozpoznania sprawy w postępowaniu sądowym bez nieuzasadnionej zwłoki) (“the 2004 Act”).

On 25 October 2006 the Katowice Court of Appeal dismissed the complaint. Although the court examined the entire length of the proceedings, it held that there had been no inactivity or undue delay on the part of the relevant court. It was observed that until April 2003 the court had been dealing with the case speedily and there had been no periods of inactivity. It was acknowledged that the proceedings had been obstructed when the case had had to be opened de novo and a new judge rapporteur had had to be assigned. The court emphasised that from the end of 2003 until the end of 2006 over fifty hearings had been scheduled. The fact that some of them were cancelled was attributable to objective factors such as the absence of a lay judge, illness of a presiding judge or absence of the applicant’s lawyer. Finally, it was pointed out that the case was of a complex nature and, moreover, that the applicant himself had contributed to the delay because of his multiple requests for new evidence to be admitted.
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e1
001-91115_a2_em1
CODE
DIRECT
45219/06
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-91115_a2_e2
001-91115_a2_em2
ORG
NO_MASK
001-91115_a2_em10
Republic of Poland
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e3
001-91115_a2_em3
MISC
NO_MASK
Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e3
001-91115_a2_em4
MISC
NO_MASK
001-91115_a2_em3
the Convention
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e4
001-91115_a2_em5
DEM
QUASI
Polish
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e5
001-91115_a2_em6
PERSON
DIRECT
Mr Adam Kauczor
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e6
001-91115_a2_em7
DATETIME
QUASI
5 November 2006
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e7
001-91115_a2_em8
PERSON
QUASI
Mr I. Płaza
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e8
001-91115_a2_em9
LOC
QUASI
Katowice
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e2
001-91115_a2_em10
ORG
NO_MASK
Polish Government
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e2
001-91115_a2_em11
ORG
NO_MASK
001-91115_a2_em10
the Government
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e9
001-91115_a2_em12
PERSON
QUASI
Mr J. Wołąsiewicz
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e10
001-91115_a2_em13
ORG
NO_MASK
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e11
001-91115_a2_em14
CODE
NO_MASK
5 § 3
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e3
001-91115_a2_em15
MISC
NO_MASK
the Convention
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e12
001-91115_a2_em16
CODE
NO_MASK
6 § 1
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e3
001-91115_a2_em17
MISC
NO_MASK
the Convention
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e13
001-91115_a2_em18
DATETIME
QUASI
4 May 2007
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e2
001-91115_a2_em19
ORG
NO_MASK
the Government
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e14
001-91115_a2_em20
CODE
NO_MASK
29 § 3
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-91115_a2_e15
001-91115_a2_em21
PERSON
NO_MASK
The applicant
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-91115_a2_e5
001-91115_a2_em22
PERSON
DIRECT
Mr Adam Kauczor
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-91115_a2_e4
001-91115_a2_em23
DEM
QUASI
Polish
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e16
001-91115_a2_em24
DATETIME
QUASI
1967
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e17
001-91115_a2_em25
LOC
QUASI
Siemianowice Śląskie
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-91115_a2_e15
001-91115_a2_em26
PERSON
NO_MASK
The applicant
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e18
001-91115_a2_em27
DATETIME
QUASI
9 February 2000
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e19
001-91115_a2_em28
DATETIME
QUASI
10 February 2000
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e20
001-91115_a2_em29
ORG
QUASI
Katowice District Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e20
001-91115_a2_em30
ORG
QUASI
001-91115_a2_em29
Sąd Rejonowy
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e21
001-91115_a2_em31
ORG
QUASI
Katowice Regional Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e21
001-91115_a2_em32
ORG
QUASI
001-91115_a2_em31
Sąd Okręgowy
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e22
001-91115_a2_em33
DATETIME
QUASI
1 March 2000
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e21
001-91115_a2_em34
ORG
QUASI
Katowice Regional Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e23
001-91115_a2_em35
DATETIME
QUASI
25 April 2000
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e24
001-91115_a2_em36
DATETIME
QUASI
3 July 2000
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e25
001-91115_a2_em37
ORG
QUASI
Katowice Court of Appeal
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e25
001-91115_a2_em38
ORG
QUASI
001-91115_a2_em37
Sąd Apelacyjny
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e26
001-91115_a2_em39
DATETIME
QUASI
2 August 2000
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e27
001-91115_a2_em40
DATETIME
QUASI
23 April 2001
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e28
001-91115_a2_em41
DATETIME
QUASI
21 June 2000
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e29
001-91115_a2_em42
QUANTITY
QUASI
thirty-four
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e30
001-91115_a2_em43
QUANTITY
QUASI
one hundred and four
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e31
001-91115_a2_em44
DATETIME
QUASI
28 December 2000
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e32
001-91115_a2_em45
QUANTITY
QUASI
sixty
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e33
001-91115_a2_em46
QUANTITY
QUASI
twenty
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e34
001-91115_a2_em47
DATETIME
QUASI
26 November 2001
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e21
001-91115_a2_em48
ORG
QUASI
Katowice Regional Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-91115_a2_e35
001-91115_a2_em49
PERSON
NO_MASK
the applicant
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e36
001-91115_a2_em50
DATETIME
QUASI
30 April 2002
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e25
001-91115_a2_em51
ORG
QUASI
Katowice Court of Appeal
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e37
001-91115_a2_em52
DATETIME
QUASI
19 December 2001
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e25
001-91115_a2_em53
ORG
QUASI
Katowice Court of Appeal
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e38
001-91115_a2_em54
DATETIME
QUASI
9 February 2002
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e39
001-91115_a2_em55
QUANTITY
NO_MASK
two-year
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e40
001-91115_a2_em56
CODE
NO_MASK
263 § 3
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e41
001-91115_a2_em57
MISC
NO_MASK
Code of Criminal Procedure
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e41
001-91115_a2_em58
MISC
QUASI
001-91115_a2_em57
Kodeks postępowania karnego
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e42
001-91115_a2_em59
DATETIME
QUASI
Between 2001 and 2003
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e43
001-91115_a2_em60
DATETIME
NO_MASK
every two or three months
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-91115_a2_e35
001-91115_a2_em61
PERSON
NO_MASK
the applicant
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-91115_a2_e25
001-91115_a2_em62
ORG
QUASI
Katowice Court of Appeal
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e44
001-91115_a2_em63
DATETIME
QUASI
6 February 2002
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e45
001-91115_a2_em64
DATETIME
QUASI
13 March 2002
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e46
001-91115_a2_em65
DATETIME
QUASI
15 May 2002
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e47
001-91115_a2_em66
DATETIME
QUASI
23 October 2002
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-91115_a2_e47
001-91115_a2_em67
DATETIME
QUASI
23 October 2002
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e48
001-91115_a2_em68
DATETIME
QUASI
12 March 2003
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-91115_a2_e48
001-91115_a2_em69
DATETIME
QUASI
12 March 2003
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e49
001-91115_a2_em70
DATETIME
QUASI
23 April 2003
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e50
001-91115_a2_em71
DATETIME
QUASI
21 May 2003
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e51
001-91115_a2_em72
DATETIME
QUASI
5 July 2003
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e52
001-91115_a2_em73
DATETIME
QUASI
beginning of 2004
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-91115_a2_e53
001-91115_a2_em74
DATETIME
QUASI
mid‑2005
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-91115_a2_e54
001-91115_a2_em75
ORG
NO_MASK
the court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e55
001-91115_a2_em76
DATETIME
QUASI
16 September 2005
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e56
001-91115_a2_em77
MISC
NO_MASK
President of the Criminal Section
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e56
001-91115_a2_em78
MISC
QUASI
001-91115_a2_em77
przewodniczący wydziału
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e57
001-91115_a2_em79
DATETIME
QUASI
2006
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-91115_a2_e54
001-91115_a2_em80
ORG
NO_MASK
the court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e58
001-91115_a2_em81
QUANTITY
QUASI
twenty-three
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e59
001-91115_a2_em82
QUANTITY
QUASI
eleven
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e60
001-91115_a2_em83
DATETIME
QUASI
between January and October 2007
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-91115_a2_e54
001-91115_a2_em84
ORG
NO_MASK
the court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e61
001-91115_a2_em85
QUANTITY
QUASI
nine
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-91115_a2_e25
001-91115_a2_em86
ORG
QUASI
Katowice Court of Appeal
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e62
001-91115_a2_em87
DATETIME
QUASI
23 July 2003
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e63
001-91115_a2_em88
DATETIME
QUASI
27 August 2003
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e64
001-91115_a2_em89
DATETIME
QUASI
26 November 2003
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e65
001-91115_a2_em90
DATETIME
QUASI
17 December 2003
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e66
001-91115_a2_em91
DATETIME
QUASI
18 February 2004
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e67
001-91115_a2_em92
DATETIME
QUASI
17 March 2004
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e68
001-91115_a2_em93
DATETIME
QUASI
11 August 2004
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e69
001-91115_a2_em94
DATETIME
QUASI
25 August 2004
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e70
001-91115_a2_em95
DATETIME
QUASI
24 November 2004
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e71
001-91115_a2_em96
DATETIME
QUASI
5 January 2005
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e72
001-91115_a2_em97
DATETIME
QUASI
16 March 2005
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e73
001-91115_a2_em98
DATETIME
QUASI
20 April 2005
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e74
001-91115_a2_em99
DATETIME
QUASI
27 July 2005
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e75
001-91115_a2_em100
DATETIME
QUASI
10 August 2005
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e76
001-91115_a2_em101
DATETIME
QUASI
19 October 2005
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e77
001-91115_a2_em102
DATETIME
QUASI
23 November 2005
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e78
001-91115_a2_em103
DATETIME
QUASI
25 January 2006
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e79
001-91115_a2_em104
DATETIME
QUASI
22 February 2006
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e80
001-91115_a2_em105
DATETIME
QUASI
19 April 2006
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e81
001-91115_a2_em106
DATETIME
QUASI
19 May 2006
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e82
001-91115_a2_em107
DATETIME
QUASI
19 July 2006
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e83
001-91115_a2_em108
DATETIME
QUASI
23 August 2006
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e84
001-91115_a2_em109
DATETIME
QUASI
25 October 2006
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e85
001-91115_a2_em110
DATETIME
QUASI
15 November 2006
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e86
001-91115_a2_em111
DATETIME
QUASI
24 January 2007
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e87
001-91115_a2_em112
DATETIME
QUASI
11 December 2007
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-91115_a2_e21
001-91115_a2_em113
ORG
QUASI
Katowice Regional Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-91115_a2_e25
001-91115_a2_em114
ORG
QUASI
Katowice Court of Appeal
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e21
001-91115_a2_em115
ORG
QUASI
Katowice Regional Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-91115_a2_e88
001-91115_a2_em116
MISC
NO_MASK
the 2004 Act
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e57
001-91115_a2_em117
DATETIME
QUASI
2006
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e89
001-91115_a2_em118
DATETIME
QUASI
17 June 2004
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e90
001-91115_a2_em119
MISC
QUASI
Ustawa o skardze na naruszenie prawa strony do rozpoznania sprawy w postępowaniu sądowym bez nieuzasadnionej zwłoki
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e88
001-91115_a2_em120
MISC
NO_MASK
the 2004 Act
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-91115_a2_e84
001-91115_a2_em121
DATETIME
QUASI
25 October 2006
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-91115_a2_e25
001-91115_a2_em122
ORG
QUASI
Katowice Court of Appeal
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e91
001-91115_a2_em123
DATETIME
QUASI
April 2003
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e92
001-91115_a2_em124
DATETIME
QUASI
end of 2003
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-91115_a2_e93
001-91115_a2_em125
DATETIME
QUASI
end of 2006
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-91115_a2_e94
001-91115_a2_em126
QUANTITY
QUASI
fifty
Adam Kauczor
POL
CHAMBER
Task: Annotate the document to anonymise the following person: Adam Kauczor