PROCEDURE

The case originated in an application (no. 19171/03) 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, Ms Danuta Zofia Chmielecka (“the applicant”), on 6 June 2003.

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

On 7 September 2007 the President of the Fourth Section decided to give notice of the application 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 FACTS

I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE

The applicant was born in 1940 and lives in Olsztyn.

A. Facts before 1 May 1993

The applicant’s mother owned a mill situated in Rogoźno, Poland. By virtue of Ordinance no. 425 issued on 6 December 1955, the Minister of Purchase (Minister Skupu) nationalised the mill.

On 7 June 1990 the applicant’s mother instituted administrative proceedings before the Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy (Minister Rolnictwa i Gospodarki Żywnościowej) and the Minister of the Internal Market (Minister Rynku Wewnętrznego). She asked the authorities for restitution of her property.

On an unspecified date the Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy transferred the case file to the Minister of the Internal Market who, on 9 May 1991, gave a decision. It was challenged by the applicant and, on 3 June 1991, the Supreme Administrative Court (Naczelny Sąd Administracyjny) gave judgment and quashed the decision.

On 17 January 1992 the Minister of Industry and Commerce (Minister Przemysłu i Handlu), who had assumed the competencies of the Minister of the Internal Market, transferred the case to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy.

On 19 October 1992 the Supreme Administrative Court gave judgment and obliged the Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy to give, within 14 days, a decision on the motion lodged on 7 June 1990.

B. Facts after 1 May 1993

In April 1995 the applicant’s mother died.

On 18 April 1996 the Olsztyn District Court (Sąd Rejonowy) gave a decision declaring that the applicant had acquired her late mother’s inheritance.

On 30 May 1996 the applicant asked the Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy for the immediate enforcement of the judgment of 19 October 1992.

As the Minister had failed to give any decision, on 19 July 1996 the applicant lodged an inactivity complaint with the Supreme Administrative Court. She also requested that a fine be imposed on the Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy and a declaration be granted that the 1955 Ordinance was null and void.

On 12 May 1998 the Supreme Administrative Court discontinued the proceedings in respect of the inactivity complaint. It relied on the fact that on 22 April 1998 the Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy had given a decision on the merits, whereby the applicant’s restitution motion had been dismissed.

On 7 May 1998 the applicant made an application to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy for reconsideration (wniosek o ponowne rozpatrzenie sprawy) of the decision of 22 April 1998.

On 28 July 2000 the applicant filed another inactivity complaint with the Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy.

As no decision had been given, on 20 October 2000 she lodged with the Supreme Administrative Court a complaint about the inactivity of the Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy.

On 21 December 2000 the Minister of Agriculture and Country Development (Minister Rolnictwa i Rozwoju Wsi), who had assumed the competencies of the Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy, upheld the decision of 22 April 1998.

On 19 January 2001 the applicant appealed against that decision to the Supreme Administrative Court.

On 6 March 2001 the Supreme Administrative Court discontinued the proceedings concerning her inactivity complaint, since, on 21 December 2000, the Minister of Agriculture and Country Development had taken the decision in question.

On 21 November 2002 the Supreme Administrative Court gave judgment and quashed both decisions given by the Minister of Agriculture and Country Development.

As no decision had been given for months, on 9 April 2003 the applicant lodged with the Minister of Agriculture and Country Development an inactivity complaint and, on 13 May 2003, another inactivity complaint with the Supreme Administrative Court.

On 22 March 2004 the Minister of Agriculture and Country Development stayed the proceedings. The applicant’s appeal in that respect was dismissed by the same authority on 10 May 2004. The applicant appealed to the Warszawa Regional Administrative Court (Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny).

On 20 May 2004 the Warszawa Regional Administrative Court discontinued the proceedings concerning the applicant’s inactivity complaint.

On 30 November 2004 the Warszawa Regional Administrative Court quashed both decisions by virtue of which the administrative proceedings had been stayed.

On 8 November 2007 the Minister of Agriculture and Country Development gave a decision declaring that the Ordinance no. 425 of 6 December 1955 had been issued in flagrant breach of the law. This decision became final.

C. Proceedings before the Warszawa Regional Administrative Court

On 13 June 2005 the applicant lodged a complaint with the Warszawa Regional Administrative Court, alleging inactivity on the part of the Minister of Agriculture and Country Development. In her complaint, she alleged that, despite the judgment of the Warszawa Regional Administrative Court of 30 November 2004, the Minister had failed to give a decision on the merits. The applicant maintained that the Regional Administrative Court has not so far examined her complaint.
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-90246_a4_e1
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CODE
DIRECT
19171/03
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correct
001-90246_a4_e2
001-90246_a4_em2
ORG
NO_MASK
Republic of Poland
ETHNIC
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001-90246_a4_e3
001-90246_a4_em3
DEM
NO_MASK
Polish national
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PERSON
DIRECT
Ms Danuta Zofia Chmielecka
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DATETIME
QUASI
6 June 2003
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001-90246_a4_em6
PERSON
QUASI
A. Chmielecki
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correct
001-90246_a4_e7
001-90246_a4_em7
LOC
QUASI
Olsztyn
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001-90246_a4_e8
001-90246_a4_em8
ORG
NO_MASK
Polish Government
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001-90246_a4_em9
PERSON
NO_MASK
Mr J. Wołąsiewicz
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001-90246_a4_em10
ORG
NO_MASK
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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001-90246_a4_em11
DATETIME
QUASI
7 September 2007
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001-90246_a4_em12
DATETIME
QUASI
1940
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001-90246_a4_em13
LOC
QUASI
Olsztyn
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001-90246_a4_em14
DATETIME
QUASI
1 May 1993
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LOC
QUASI
Rogoźno, Poland
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001-90246_a4_em16
MISC
NO_MASK
Ordinance no. 425
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DATETIME
QUASI
6 December 1955
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ORG
NO_MASK
Minister of Purchase (Minister Skupu)
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DATETIME
QUASI
7 June 1990
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001-90246_a4_e19
001-90246_a4_em20
ORG
NO_MASK
Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy (Minister Rolnictwa i Gospodarki Żywnościowej)
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-90246_a4_e20
001-90246_a4_em21
ORG
NO_MASK
Minister of the Internal Market (Minister Rynku Wewnętrznego)
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insert
001-90246_a4_e21
001-90246_a4_em22
ORG
NO_MASK
Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy
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001-90246_a4_e22
001-90246_a4_em23
ORG
NO_MASK
Minister of the Internal Market
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DATETIME
QUASI
9 May 1991
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DATETIME
QUASI
3 June 1991
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001-90246_a4_em26
ORG
NO_MASK
Supreme Administrative Court (Naczelny Sąd Administracyjny)
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001-90246_a4_e26
001-90246_a4_em27
DATETIME
QUASI
17 January 1992
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001-90246_a4_em28
ORG
NO_MASK
Minister of Industry and Commerce (Minister Przemysłu i Handlu)
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001-90246_a4_em29
ORG
NO_MASK
Minister of the Internal Market
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001-90246_a4_e21
001-90246_a4_em30
ORG
NO_MASK
Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy
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001-90246_a4_e28
001-90246_a4_em31
DATETIME
QUASI
19 October 1992
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001-90246_a4_e29
001-90246_a4_em32
ORG
NO_MASK
Supreme Administrative Court
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001-90246_a4_e21
001-90246_a4_em33
ORG
NO_MASK
Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy
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001-90246_a4_e30
001-90246_a4_em34
DATETIME
NO_MASK
14 days
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DATETIME
QUASI
7 June 1990
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DATETIME
QUASI
1 May 1993
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QUASI
April 1995
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DATETIME
QUASI
18 April 1996
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001-90246_a4_em39
ORG
QUASI
Olsztyn District Court (Sąd Rejonowy)
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001-90246_a4_em40
DATETIME
QUASI
30 May 1996
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001-90246_a4_em41
ORG
NO_MASK
Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy
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001-90246_a4_em42
DATETIME
QUASI
19 October 1992
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DATETIME
QUASI
19 July 1996
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001-90246_a4_e29
001-90246_a4_em44
ORG
NO_MASK
Supreme Administrative Court
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001-90246_a4_e21
001-90246_a4_em45
ORG
NO_MASK
Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy
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001-90246_a4_em46
DATETIME
QUASI
1955
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DATETIME
QUASI
12 May 1998
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ORG
NO_MASK
Supreme Administrative Court
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DATETIME
QUASI
22 April 1998
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ORG
NO_MASK
Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy
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DATETIME
QUASI
7 May 1998
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ORG
NO_MASK
Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy
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DATETIME
QUASI
22 April 1998
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DATETIME
QUASI
28 July 2000
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ORG
NO_MASK
Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy
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QUASI
20 October 2000
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ORG
NO_MASK
Supreme Administrative Court
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ORG
NO_MASK
Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy
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DATETIME
QUASI
21 December 2000
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001-90246_a4_em60
ORG
NO_MASK
Minister of Agriculture and Country Development (Minister Rolnictwa i Rozwoju Wsi)
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001-90246_a4_e21
001-90246_a4_em61
ORG
NO_MASK
Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy
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001-90246_a4_em62
DATETIME
QUASI
22 April 1998
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DATETIME
QUASI
19 January 2001
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001-90246_a4_em64
ORG
NO_MASK
Supreme Administrative Court
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001-90246_a4_em65
DATETIME
QUASI
6 March 2001
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001-90246_a4_em66
ORG
NO_MASK
Supreme Administrative Court
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001-90246_a4_em67
DATETIME
QUASI
21 December 2000
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001-90246_a4_em68
ORG
QUASI
Minister of Agriculture and Country Development
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DATETIME
QUASI
21 November 2002
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ORG
NO_MASK
Supreme Administrative Court
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001-90246_a4_e46
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ORG
NO_MASK
Minister of Agriculture and Country Development
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001-90246_a4_e48
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DATETIME
QUASI
9 April 2003
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ORG
NO_MASK
Minister of Agriculture and Country Development
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DATETIME
QUASI
13 May 2003
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ORG
NO_MASK
Supreme Administrative Court
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DATETIME
QUASI
22 March 2004
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001-90246_a4_e46
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ORG
NO_MASK
Minister of Agriculture and Country Development
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001-90246_a4_em78
DATETIME
QUASI
10 May 2004
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001-90246_a4_em79
ORG
QUASI
Warszawa Regional Administrative Court (Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny)
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001-90246_a4_e53
001-90246_a4_em80
DATETIME
QUASI
20 May 2004
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001-90246_a4_em81
ORG
QUASI
Warszawa Regional Administrative Court
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001-90246_a4_em82
DATETIME
QUASI
30 November 2004
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ORG
QUASI
Warszawa Regional Administrative Court
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DATETIME
QUASI
8 November 2007
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ORG
NO_MASK
Minister of Agriculture and Country Development
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001-90246_a4_em86
MISC
NO_MASK
Ordinance no. 425
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001-90246_a4_em87
DATETIME
QUASI
6 December 1955
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001-90246_a4_em88
ORG
QUASI
Warszawa Regional Administrative Court
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001-90246_a4_em89
DATETIME
QUASI
13 June 2005
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001-90246_a4_em90
ORG
QUASI
Warszawa Regional Administrative Court
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001-90246_a4_e46
001-90246_a4_em91
ORG
NO_MASK
Minister of Agriculture and Country Development
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001-90246_a4_e54
001-90246_a4_em92
ORG
QUASI
Warszawa Regional Administrative Court
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001-90246_a4_e55
001-90246_a4_em93
DATETIME
QUASI
30 November 2004
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ORG
NO_MASK
Regional Administrative Court
Danuta Zofia Chmielecka
POL
CHAMBER
Task: Annotate the document to anonymise the following person: Danuta Zofia Chmielecka