PROCEDURE

The case originated in an application (no. 75872/01) 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 Józef Gidel (“the applicant”), on 19 December 2000.

The Polish Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agent, Mr K. Drzewicki, of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

On 30 April 2002 the Court declared the application partly inadmissible and decided to communicate the complaint concerning the length of the proceedings to the Government. Under the provisions of Article 29 § 3 of the Convention, it decided to examine the merits of the application at the same time as its admissibility.

THE FACTS

The applicant, Mr Józef Gidel, is a Polish national, who was born in 1959 and lives in Kraków, Poland.

The applicant runs a car repair shop in Kraków. On 11 March 1993 he sued a certain I.K. and the State Treasury before the Kraków District Court (Sąd Rejonowy), seeking payment for the repair of I.K’s car. On 27 August 1993 the statement of claim was served on I.K who, at that time, lived in Germany.

The first hearing was set down for 21 December 1993 but was later adjourned because the presiding judge was ill. The court held hearings on 26 April, 26 August, 4 November 1994 and on 21 March 1995.

Subsequently, the defendant challenged the impartiality of all the judges of the Kraków District Court. On 8 November 1995 the Kraków Regional Court (Sąd Wojewódzki) dismissed his challenge, finding that it lacked any basis and that the relevant statutory requirements for the disqualification of the judges were not satisfied. His further appeal was dismissed by the Kraków Court of Appeal (Sąd Apelacyjny) on 30 January 1996.

On 23 October, 1 December 1995 and on 13 May 1996 the applicant sent letters to the court asking for a hearing date to be fixed as soon as possible.

On 30 August 1996 the court ordered an expert to prepare a report. However, the expert failed to comply with the court’s order. On 21 October 1996 the court ordered yet another expert to prepare a report within one month. It was submitted to the court on 17 December 1996.

On 28 March 1997 the applicant again asked the court to fix a date for a hearing.

On 12 December 1997 the court held a hearing.

At the hearing held on 3 April 1998 the court ordered that the claim against the State Treasury be examined separately. The next hearing, scheduled for 12 May 1998, was cancelled as there was no courtroom available.

On 1 April 1998 I.K. challenged the impartiality of the presiding judge. On 1 June 1998 a panel of three judges, sitting as the Kraków District Court, dismissed the defendant’s challenge, ruling that it was totally unsubstantiated. The court also imposed a fine on him, holding that the challenge had been made in bad faith. His further appeal was dismissed by the Kraków Regional Court on 10 February 1999.

On 26 June 1998 the Kraków District Court gave an interlocutory judgment. It dismissed the applicant’s claim against the State Treasury on the ground that its liability had not been established.

Meanwhile, the defendant had informed the trial court that he had moved to Poland. This resulted in Kraków-Śródmieście District Court no longer having territorial jurisdiction over the case. On an unknown date the applicant was asked to indicate in which court he wished to pursue his claim: Kraków-Podgórze District Court or Kraków-Nowa Huta District Court. The applicant failed to do so. On 12 July 2000, of the court’s own motion, the case was referred to the Kraków-Podgórze District Court.

On 16 October 2000 the applicant sent a letter to the President of the Kraków Regional Court. He complained about the slow conduct of the proceedings. On 17 November 2000, in reply to his complaints, the President observed that the proceedings were indeed lengthy and gave his assurance that he would supervise their conduct.

At the hearing held on 9 February 2001 the Kraków District Court gave judgment. On 27 April 2001 the applicant appealed. On 15 October 2001 the Kraków District Court rejected the appeal, as the applicant had failed to pay the required court fee within the statutory time-limit. On 30 January 2002 the Kraków Regional Court quashed this decision and allowed the applicant’s appeal of 27 April 2001.

The proceedings are pending before the Kraków Regional Court.
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-61361_a6_e1
001-61361_a6_em1
CODE
DIRECT
75872/01
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-61361_a6_e2
001-61361_a6_em2
ORG
NO_MASK
Republic of Poland
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-61361_a6_e2
001-61361_a6_em3
DEM
QUASI
Polish
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001-61361_a6_e3
001-61361_a6_em4
PERSON
DIRECT
Mr Józef Gidel
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001-61361_a6_e4
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DATETIME
QUASI
19 December 2000
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ORG
NO_MASK
001-61361_a6_em2
Polish
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001-61361_a6_e5
001-61361_a6_em7
PERSON
QUASI
Mr K. Drzewicki
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001-61361_a6_e6
001-61361_a6_em8
DATETIME
QUASI
30 April 2002
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001-61361_a6_e3
001-61361_a6_em9
PERSON
DIRECT
Mr Józef Gidel
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001-61361_a6_e2
001-61361_a6_em10
DEM
QUASI
Polish
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001-61361_a6_e7
001-61361_a6_em11
DATETIME
QUASI
1959
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001-61361_a6_e8
001-61361_a6_em12
LOC
QUASI
Kraków, Poland
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001-61361_a6_e9
001-61361_a6_em13
ORG
QUASI
car repair shop
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001-61361_a6_e10
001-61361_a6_em14
LOC
QUASI
Kraków
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001-61361_a6_e11
001-61361_a6_em15
DATETIME
QUASI
11 March 1993
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correct
001-61361_a6_e12
001-61361_a6_em16
PERSON
QUASI
I.K.
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001-61361_a6_e13
001-61361_a6_em17
ORG
NO_MASK
State Treasury
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001-61361_a6_e14
001-61361_a6_em18
ORG
NO_MASK
Kraków District Court
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correct
001-61361_a6_e15
001-61361_a6_em19
PERSON
QUASI
I.K
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001-61361_a6_e16
001-61361_a6_em20
DATETIME
QUASI
27 August 1993
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001-61361_a6_e15
001-61361_a6_em21
PERSON
QUASI
I.K
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001-61361_a6_e17
001-61361_a6_em22
LOC
QUASI
Germany
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001-61361_a6_e18
001-61361_a6_em23
DATETIME
QUASI
21 December 1993
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001-61361_a6_e19
001-61361_a6_em24
DATETIME
QUASI
26 April, 26 August, 4 November 1994
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001-61361_a6_e20
001-61361_a6_em25
DATETIME
QUASI
21 March 1995
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001-61361_a6_e14
001-61361_a6_em26
ORG
NO_MASK
Kraków District Court
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001-61361_a6_e21
001-61361_a6_em27
DATETIME
QUASI
8 November 1995
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001-61361_a6_e22
001-61361_a6_em28
ORG
NO_MASK
Kraków Regional Court
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correct
001-61361_a6_e22
001-61361_a6_em29
ORG
NO_MASK
001-61361_a6_em28
Sąd Wojewódzki
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001-61361_a6_e23
001-61361_a6_em30
ORG
NO_MASK
Kraków Court of Appeal
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001-61361_a6_e23
001-61361_a6_em31
ORG
NO_MASK
001-61361_a6_em30
Sąd Apelacyjny
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001-61361_a6_e24
001-61361_a6_em32
DATETIME
QUASI
30 January 1996
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001-61361_a6_e25
001-61361_a6_em33
DATETIME
QUASI
23 October, 1 December 1995
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001-61361_a6_e26
001-61361_a6_em34
DATETIME
QUASI
13 May 1996
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001-61361_a6_e27
001-61361_a6_em35
DATETIME
QUASI
30 August 1996
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001-61361_a6_e28
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DATETIME
QUASI
21 October 1996
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001-61361_a6_e29
001-61361_a6_em37
DATETIME
QUASI
one month
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001-61361_a6_e30
001-61361_a6_em38
DATETIME
QUASI
17 December 1996
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001-61361_a6_e31
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DATETIME
QUASI
28 March 1997
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001-61361_a6_e32
001-61361_a6_em40
DATETIME
QUASI
12 December 1997
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001-61361_a6_e33
001-61361_a6_em41
DATETIME
QUASI
3 April 1998
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001-61361_a6_e13
001-61361_a6_em42
ORG
NO_MASK
State Treasury
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001-61361_a6_e34
001-61361_a6_em43
DATETIME
QUASI
12 May 1998
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001-61361_a6_e35
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DATETIME
QUASI
1 April 1998
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001-61361_a6_e12
001-61361_a6_em45
PERSON
QUASI
I.K.
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001-61361_a6_e36
001-61361_a6_em46
DATETIME
QUASI
1 June 1998
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001-61361_a6_e14
001-61361_a6_em47
ORG
NO_MASK
Kraków District Court
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001-61361_a6_e22
001-61361_a6_em48
ORG
NO_MASK
Kraków Regional Court
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001-61361_a6_e37
001-61361_a6_em49
DATETIME
QUASI
10 February 1999
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001-61361_a6_e38
001-61361_a6_em50
DATETIME
QUASI
26 June 1998
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001-61361_a6_e14
001-61361_a6_em51
ORG
NO_MASK
Kraków District Court
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001-61361_a6_e13
001-61361_a6_em52
ORG
NO_MASK
State Treasury
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001-61361_a6_e39
001-61361_a6_em53
ORG
NO_MASK
Poland
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001-61361_a6_e40
001-61361_a6_em54
ORG
QUASI
Kraków-Śródmieście District Court
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001-61361_a6_e41
001-61361_a6_em55
ORG
QUASI
Kraków-Podgórze District Court
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001-61361_a6_e42
001-61361_a6_em56
ORG
QUASI
Kraków-Nowa Huta District Court
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001-61361_a6_e43
001-61361_a6_em57
DATETIME
QUASI
12 July 2000
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001-61361_a6_e44
001-61361_a6_em58
DATETIME
QUASI
16 October 2000
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001-61361_a6_e22
001-61361_a6_em59
ORG
NO_MASK
Kraków Regional Court
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001-61361_a6_e45
001-61361_a6_em60
DATETIME
QUASI
17 November 2000
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001-61361_a6_e46
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DATETIME
QUASI
9 February 2001
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001-61361_a6_e14
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ORG
NO_MASK
Kraków District Court
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001-61361_a6_e47
001-61361_a6_em63
DATETIME
QUASI
27 April 2001
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001-61361_a6_e48
001-61361_a6_em64
DATETIME
QUASI
15 October 2001
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001-61361_a6_e14
001-61361_a6_em65
ORG
NO_MASK
Kraków District Court
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001-61361_a6_e49
001-61361_a6_em66
DATETIME
QUASI
30 January 2002
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001-61361_a6_e22
001-61361_a6_em67
ORG
NO_MASK
Kraków Regional Court
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001-61361_a6_e47
001-61361_a6_em68
DATETIME
QUASI
27 April 2001
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001-61361_a6_e22
001-61361_a6_em69
ORG
NO_MASK
Kraków Regional Court
Józef Gidel
POL
CHAMBER
Task: Annotate the document to anonymise the following person: Józef Gidel