PROCEDURE

The case originated in an application (no. 16386/07) against the Federal Republic of Germany lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) by a German national, Mr Klaus Breiler (“the applicant”), on 16 April 2007.

The applicant was represented by Mr K.H. Christoph, a lawyer practising in Berlin. The German Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agent, Mrs A. Wittling-Vogel, Ministerialdirigentin, Federal Ministry of Justice.

On 1 September 2009 the President of the Fifth Section decided to communicate the complaint concerning the length of the proceedings to the Government. It was also decided to rule on the admissibility and merits of the application at the same time (Article 29 § 3). The Chamber decided, pursuant to Rule 54 § 3, that no hearing was required.

THE FACTS

I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE

The applicant was born in 1939 and lives in Berlin. He studied educational science and aircraft engineering and piloting in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR). From 1969 until 1990 he worked for the GDR airline Interflug.

On 4 December 2000 he applied for the transfer of alleged future pension rights under one of the additional pension schemes for certain professions or groups (Zusatzversorgungssysteme). On 20 February 2002 the applicant's request was dismissed. His subsequent administrative appeal, submitted on 13 March 2002, was rejected on 26 July 2002.

On 30 August 2002 he brought an action in the Social Court, which, following a hearing on 20 January 2003, dismissed the action, finding that the applicant did not qualify for any of the additional pension schemes. The judgment was served on the applicant on 20 February 2003. On 18 March 2003 he appealed the judgment.

On 18 June 2003 the Federal Social Court rendered a decision concerning a similar subject-matter, which was consistent with the Social Court's decision in the instant case. On 28 August 2003 the Social Court of Appeal advised the parties of the Federal Social Court's decision and classified the case as ready for decision.

During the course of the appeal proceedings the applicant's representative declared that he was seeking fundamental clarification of the subject-matter before the Federal Constitutional Court. The Social Court of Appeal therefore awaited a decision of that court.

On 24 April 2006 the judge rapporteur enquired whether the appeal was to continue after the Federal Constitutional Court on 1 March 2006 (file no. 1 BvR 320/06) had declined to admit for examination a constitutional complaint in a similar case.

On 8 May 2006 the applicant's representative announced that he would submit further observations until 30 June 2006. After a reminder of the Social Court of Appeal on 15 August 2006 these observations were submitted on 20 December 2006.

On 16 February 2007 the Social Court of Appeal dismissed the applicant's appeal and refused to grant leave to appeal on points of law. On 15 March 2007 the judgment was served on the applicant's representative.

Within the statutory time limit the applicant's representative objected to the refusal to grant leave to appeal on points of law and reasoned the objection on 15 June 2007. On 22 January 2008 the Federal Social Court dismissed the objection as inadmissible. This decision was served on the applicant's representative on 1 February 2008.
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e1
001-100393_a8_em1
CODE
DIRECT
16386/07
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-100393_a8_e2
001-100393_a8_em2
ORG
NO_MASK
Federal Republic of Germany
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e3
001-100393_a8_em3
DEM
NO_MASK
German
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e4
001-100393_a8_em4
PERSON
DIRECT
Mr Klaus Breiler
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e5
001-100393_a8_em5
DATETIME
QUASI
16 April 2007
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e6
001-100393_a8_em6
PERSON
QUASI
Mr K.H. Christoph
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e7
001-100393_a8_em7
LOC
NO_MASK
Berlin
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e3
001-100393_a8_em8
DEM
NO_MASK
German
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e8
001-100393_a8_em9
PERSON
QUASI
Mrs A. Wittling-Vogel
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e9
001-100393_a8_em10
ORG
NO_MASK
Ministerialdirigentin
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e10
001-100393_a8_em11
ORG
NO_MASK
Federal Ministry of Justice
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e11
001-100393_a8_em12
DATETIME
QUASI
1939
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e7
001-100393_a8_em13
LOC
QUASI
Berlin
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-100393_a8_e12
001-100393_a8_em14
ORG
NO_MASK
German Democratic Republic (GDR)
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e13
001-100393_a8_em15
DATETIME
QUASI
1969
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e14
001-100393_a8_em16
DATETIME
QUASI
1990
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-100393_a8_e12
001-100393_a8_em17
ORG
NO_MASK
001-100393_a8_em14
GDR
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e15
001-100393_a8_em18
ORG
QUASI
Interflug
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e16
001-100393_a8_em19
DATETIME
QUASI
4 December 2000
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e17
001-100393_a8_em20
DATETIME
QUASI
20 February 2002
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e18
001-100393_a8_em21
DATETIME
QUASI
13 March 2002
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e19
001-100393_a8_em22
DATETIME
QUASI
26 July 2002
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e20
001-100393_a8_em23
DATETIME
QUASI
30 August 2002
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e21
001-100393_a8_em24
ORG
NO_MASK
Social Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e22
001-100393_a8_em25
DATETIME
QUASI
20 January 2003
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e23
001-100393_a8_em26
DATETIME
QUASI
20 February 2003
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e24
001-100393_a8_em27
DATETIME
QUASI
18 March 2003
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e25
001-100393_a8_em28
DATETIME
QUASI
18 June 2003
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e26
001-100393_a8_em29
ORG
NO_MASK
Federal Social Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-100393_a8_e21
001-100393_a8_em30
ORG
NO_MASK
Social Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e27
001-100393_a8_em31
DATETIME
QUASI
28 August 2003
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e28
001-100393_a8_em32
ORG
NO_MASK
Social Court of Appeal
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-100393_a8_e26
001-100393_a8_em33
ORG
NO_MASK
Federal Social Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e29
001-100393_a8_em34
ORG
NO_MASK
Federal Constitutional Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e28
001-100393_a8_em35
ORG
NO_MASK
Social Court of Appeal
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e30
001-100393_a8_em36
DATETIME
QUASI
24 April 2006
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e29
001-100393_a8_em37
ORG
NO_MASK
Federal Constitutional Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e31
001-100393_a8_em38
DATETIME
QUASI
1 March 2006
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e32
001-100393_a8_em39
DATETIME
QUASI
8 May 2006
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e33
001-100393_a8_em40
DATETIME
QUASI
30 June 2006
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e28
001-100393_a8_em41
ORG
NO_MASK
Social Court of Appeal
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e34
001-100393_a8_em42
DATETIME
QUASI
15 August 2006
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e35
001-100393_a8_em43
DATETIME
QUASI
20 December 2006
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e36
001-100393_a8_em44
DATETIME
QUASI
16 February 2007
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e28
001-100393_a8_em45
ORG
NO_MASK
Social Court of Appeal
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e37
001-100393_a8_em46
DATETIME
QUASI
15 March 2007
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e38
001-100393_a8_em47
DATETIME
QUASI
15 June 2007
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e39
001-100393_a8_em48
DATETIME
QUASI
22 January 2008
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e26
001-100393_a8_em49
ORG
NO_MASK
Federal Social Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-100393_a8_e40
001-100393_a8_em50
DATETIME
QUASI
1 February 2008
Klaus Breiler
DEU
CHAMBER
Task: Annotate the document to anonymise the following person: Klaus Breiler