PROCEDURE

The case originated in an application (no. 49788/06) 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 Krzysztof Kaniewski (“the applicant”), on 5 December 2006.

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

On 21 February 2007 the President of the Fourth Section 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 Government submitted a unilateral declaration and invited the Court to strike the application out of the list, in accordance with Article 37 of the Convention.

THE FACTS

I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE

The applicant was born in 1955 and lives in Warsaw.

A. Civil proceedings for dissolution of a partnership

On 6 November 1992 the applicant lodged a claim with the Warsaw Regional Court (Sad Okręgowy) for dissolution of a partnership.

On 6 June 1995 the proceedings were stayed.

On 26 September 1996 the Warsaw Regional Court discontinued the proceedings.

The applicant appealed against this decision.

On an unspecified date the Warsaw Court of Appeal (Sąd Apelacyjny) quashed the decision on the discontinuance of the proceedings.

On 23 July 1997 the Warsaw Regional Court found that it was not competent to deal with the matter and referred the case to the Warsaw District Court (Sąd Rejonowy).

Between 26 February 1998 and 2 September 2002 the court scheduled eight hearings, two of which were adjourned.

On 2 September 2002 the court ordered that an expert report be obtained.

Between 25 November 2002 and June 2003 the expert witness prepared his report.

On 8 April 2004 the proceedings were stayed. The applicant appealed.

On 16 August 2004 the court rejected the applicant’s appeal.

The proceedings are still pending before the Warsaw District Court.

B. Proceedings under the 2004 Act

On 14 June 2005 the applicant lodged a complaint 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 29 September 2005 the Warsaw Regional Court (Sąd Okręgowy) dismissed his complaint on the ground that on the date of the entry into force of the 2004 Act no undue delays in the court’s conduct could be discerned. The court acknowledged that the proceedings before 2004 had been unreasonably lengthy for various reasons such as the failure of witnesses and lawyers to appear on numerous occasions and the unreasonably long period taken up by the preparation of a report by the expert witness. The court also found some periods of inactivity on the part of the Warsaw District Court (between 18 November 1998 and 24 September 1999 and between 9 December 1999 and 29 October 2001). However, the court stressed that the 2004 Act had entered into force on 17 September 2004 and could not be applied to the proceedings occurring before that date. Having analysed the conduct of the District Court in the period following the entry into force of the 2004 Act, the Regional Court found that the proceedings had been conducted with due diligence and within a reasonable time.
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-88579_a1_e1
001-88579_a1_em1
CODE
DIRECT
49788/06
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-88579_a1_e2
001-88579_a1_em2
ORG
NO_MASK
Republic of Poland
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-88579_a1_e3
001-88579_a1_em3
DEM
NO_MASK
Polish
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-88579_a1_e4
001-88579_a1_em4
PERSON
DIRECT
Mr Krzysztof Kaniewski
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-88579_a1_e5
001-88579_a1_em5
DATETIME
QUASI
5 December 2006
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-88579_a1_e6
001-88579_a1_em6
ORG
NO_MASK
Polish Government
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-88579_a1_e7
001-88579_a1_em7
PERSON
QUASI
Mr J. Wołąsiewicz
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-88579_a1_e8
001-88579_a1_em8
DATETIME
QUASI
21 February 2007
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-88579_a1_e9
001-88579_a1_em9
DATETIME
QUASI
1955
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-88579_a1_e10
001-88579_a1_em10
LOC
NO_MASK
Warsaw
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-88579_a1_e11
001-88579_a1_em11
DATETIME
QUASI
6 November 1992
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-88579_a1_e12
001-88579_a1_em12
ORG
NO_MASK
Warsaw Regional Court (Sad Okręgowy)
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check
001-88579_a1_e13
001-88579_a1_em13
DATETIME
QUASI
6 June 1995
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check
001-88579_a1_e14
001-88579_a1_em14
DATETIME
QUASI
26 September 1996
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-88579_a1_e12
001-88579_a1_em15
ORG
NO_MASK
001-88579_a1_em12
Warsaw Regional Court
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insert
001-88579_a1_e15
001-88579_a1_em16
ORG
NO_MASK
Warsaw Court of Appeal (Sąd Apelacyjny)
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-88579_a1_e16
001-88579_a1_em17
DATETIME
QUASI
23 July 1997
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-88579_a1_e12
001-88579_a1_em18
ORG
NO_MASK
Warsaw Regional Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-88579_a1_e17
001-88579_a1_em19
ORG
NO_MASK
Warsaw District Court (Sąd Rejonowy)
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-88579_a1_e18
001-88579_a1_em20
DATETIME
QUASI
Between 26 February 1998 and 2 September 2002
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
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001-88579_a1_e19
001-88579_a1_em21
DATETIME
QUASI
2 September 2002
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-88579_a1_e20
001-88579_a1_em22
DATETIME
QUASI
Between 25 November 2002 and June 2003
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-88579_a1_e21
001-88579_a1_em23
DATETIME
QUASI
8 April 2004
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001-88579_a1_e22
001-88579_a1_em24
DATETIME
QUASI
16 August 2004
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-88579_a1_e17
001-88579_a1_em25
ORG
NO_MASK
001-88579_a1_em19
Warsaw District Court
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check
001-88579_a1_e23
001-88579_a1_em26
DATETIME
QUASI
14 June 2005
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001-88579_a1_e24
001-88579_a1_em27
DATETIME
QUASI
29 September 2005
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-88579_a1_e25
001-88579_a1_em28
ORG
NO_MASK
Warsaw Regional Court (Sąd Okręgowy)
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
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001-88579_a1_e17
001-88579_a1_em29
ORG
NO_MASK
Warsaw District Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-88579_a1_e26
001-88579_a1_em30
DATETIME
QUASI
between 18 November 1998 and 24 September 1999
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-88579_a1_e27
001-88579_a1_em31
DATETIME
QUASI
between 9 December 1999 and 29 October 2001
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-88579_a1_e28
001-88579_a1_em32
DATETIME
QUASI
17 September 2004
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-88579_a1_e17
001-88579_a1_em33
ORG
NO_MASK
001-88579_a1_em19
District Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-88579_a1_e12
001-88579_a1_em34
ORG
NO_MASK
001-88579_a1_em12
Regional Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-88579_a4_e1
001-88579_a4_em1
CODE
DIRECT
49788/06
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-88579_a4_e2
001-88579_a4_em2
ORG
NO_MASK
Republic of Poland
ETHNIC
insert
001-88579_a4_e3
001-88579_a4_em3
DEM
NO_MASK
Polish national
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check
001-88579_a4_e4
001-88579_a4_em4
PERSON
DIRECT
Mr Krzysztof Kaniewski
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001-88579_a4_e5
001-88579_a4_em5
DATETIME
QUASI
5 December 2006
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-88579_a4_e6
001-88579_a4_em6
ORG
NO_MASK
Polish Government
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check
001-88579_a4_e7
001-88579_a4_em7
PERSON
NO_MASK
Mr J. Wołąsiewicz
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-88579_a4_e8
001-88579_a4_em8
ORG
NO_MASK
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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check
001-88579_a4_e9
001-88579_a4_em9
DATETIME
QUASI
21 February 2007
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001-88579_a4_e10
001-88579_a4_em10
DATETIME
QUASI
1955
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001-88579_a4_e11
001-88579_a4_em11
LOC
QUASI
Warsaw
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001-88579_a4_e12
001-88579_a4_em12
DATETIME
QUASI
6 November 1992
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-88579_a4_e13
001-88579_a4_em13
ORG
NO_MASK
Warsaw Regional Court (Sad Okręgowy)
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-88579_a4_e14
001-88579_a4_em14
DATETIME
QUASI
6 June 1995
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001-88579_a4_e15
001-88579_a4_em15
DATETIME
QUASI
26 September 1996
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insert
001-88579_a4_e16
001-88579_a4_em16
ORG
NO_MASK
001-88579_a4_em31
Warsaw Regional Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-88579_a4_e17
001-88579_a4_em17
ORG
NO_MASK
Warsaw Court of Appeal (Sąd Apelacyjny)
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-88579_a4_e18
001-88579_a4_em18
DATETIME
QUASI
23 July 1997
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001-88579_a4_e16
001-88579_a4_em19
ORG
NO_MASK
Warsaw Regional Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
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001-88579_a4_e19
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ORG
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Warsaw District Court (Sąd Rejonowy)
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
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001-88579_a4_e20
001-88579_a4_em21
DATETIME
QUASI
26 February 1998
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001-88579_a4_e21
001-88579_a4_em22
DATETIME
QUASI
2 September 2002
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001-88579_a4_e21
001-88579_a4_em23
DATETIME
QUASI
2 September 2002
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001-88579_a4_e22
001-88579_a4_em24
DATETIME
QUASI
25 November 2002
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001-88579_a4_e23
001-88579_a4_em25
DATETIME
QUASI
June 2003
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001-88579_a4_e24
001-88579_a4_em26
DATETIME
QUASI
8 April 2004
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001-88579_a4_e25
001-88579_a4_em27
DATETIME
QUASI
16 August 2004
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-88579_a4_e19
001-88579_a4_em28
ORG
NO_MASK
001-88579_a4_em20
Warsaw District Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-88579_a4_e26
001-88579_a4_em29
DATETIME
QUASI
14 June 2005
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check
001-88579_a4_e27
001-88579_a4_em30
DATETIME
QUASI
29 September 2005
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-88579_a4_e16
001-88579_a4_em31
ORG
NO_MASK
Warsaw Regional Court (Sąd Okręgowy)
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-88579_a4_e28
001-88579_a4_em32
DATETIME
QUASI
before 2004
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-88579_a4_e19
001-88579_a4_em33
ORG
NO_MASK
Warsaw District Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-88579_a4_e29
001-88579_a4_em34
DATETIME
QUASI
18 November 1998
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-88579_a4_e30
001-88579_a4_em35
DATETIME
QUASI
24 September 1999
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-88579_a4_e31
001-88579_a4_em36
DATETIME
QUASI
9 December 1999
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-88579_a4_e32
001-88579_a4_em37
DATETIME
QUASI
29 October 2001
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-88579_a4_e33
001-88579_a4_em38
DATETIME
NO_MASK
17 September 2004
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-88579_a4_e34
001-88579_a4_em39
ORG
NO_MASK
District Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-88579_a4_e35
001-88579_a4_em40
ORG
NO_MASK
Regional Court
Krzysztof Kaniewski
POL
CHAMBER
Task: Annotate the document to anonymise the following person: Krzysztof Kaniewski