PROCEDURE

The case was referred to the Court by Mrs Gertrude Beer (“the applicant”), an Austrian national, on 17 June 1999, within the three-month period laid down by former Articles 32 § 1 and 47 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. It originated in an application (no. 30428/96) against the Republic of Austria lodged with the European Commission of Human Rights (“the Commission”) under former Article 25 by the applicant. The Government of Austria are represented by their Agent, Ambassador H. Winkler, Head of the International Law Department at the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The applicant’s request to the Court referred to Article 48 as amended by Protocol No. 9, which Austria had ratified. The object of the application was to obtain a decision as to whether the facts of the case disclosed a breach by the respondent State of its obligations under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention.

On 7 July 1999 the Panel of the Grand Chamber decided, pursuant to Article 5 § 4 of Protocol No. 11 to the Convention and Rules 100 § 1 and 24 § 6 of the Rules of Court, that the application would be examined by one of the Sections. It was, thereupon, assigned to the Third Section. Within that Section, the Chamber was constituted in accordance with Rule 26 § 1 of the Rules of Court.

In accordance with Rule 59 § 3 of the Rules of Court, the President of the Chamber invited the parties to submit a memorial on the issues of the case. The applicant submitted such a memorial on 2 September 1999, the Government on 29 October 1999.

After consulting the Agent of the Government and the applicant, the Chamber decided not to hold a hearing in the case.

THE FACTS

I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE

On 2 December 1994 the applicant filed an action with the Vienna Labour and Social Court (Arbeits- und Sozialgericht) against her employer, the General Accident Insurance Company (Allgemeine Unfallversicherungsanstalt). She requested the Court to order her employer to annul her transfer from one department of the hospital where she was working as a nurse to another department.

On 15 May 1995 the Social and Labour Court granted the applicant's action by a judgment in default (Versäumungsurteil) and ordered the defendant to reimburse the applicant's costs, i.e. 33,658 Austrian Schillings (ATS).

On 31 May 1995 the General Accident Insurance Company filed an appeal against the costs order (Kostenrekurs). It submitted that the costs had not been calculated correctly under the Act on Lawyers' Fees (Rechtsanwaltstarifgesetz) and requested their reduction. This appeal was not transmitted to the applicant.

On 19 July 1995 the Vienna Court of Appeal (Oberlandesgericht), sitting in camera, granted the appeal, recalculated the costs to be reimbursed and reduced them to ATS 14,754.
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
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001-59204_a8_e1
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PERSON
DIRECT
Mrs Gertrude Beer
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001-59204_a8_e2
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DEM
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Austrian
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DATETIME
QUASI
17 June 1999
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DATETIME
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three-month
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001-59204_a8_e5
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CODE
DIRECT
30428/96
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001-59204_a8_e6
001-59204_a8_em6
ORG
NO_MASK
Republic of Austria
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001-59204_a8_e7
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ORG
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Government of Austria
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PERSON
QUASI
H. Winkler
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001-59204_a8_e9
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ORG
NO_MASK
International Law Department
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001-59204_a8_e10
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ORG
NO_MASK
Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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001-59204_a8_e11
001-59204_a8_em11
ORG
NO_MASK
Austria
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001-59204_a8_e12
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DATETIME
QUASI
7 July 1999
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001-59204_a8_e13
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ORG
NO_MASK
Panel of the Grand Chamber
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DATETIME
QUASI
2 September 1999
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001-59204_a8_e15
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DATETIME
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29 October 1999
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001-59204_a8_e16
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DATETIME
QUASI
2 December 1994
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001-59204_a8_e17
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ORG
QUASI
Vienna Labour and Social Court (Arbeits- und Sozialgericht)
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ORG
NO_MASK
General Accident Insurance Company (Allgemeine Unfallversicherungsanstalt)
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001-59204_a8_e19
001-59204_a8_em19
DATETIME
QUASI
15 May 1995
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001-59204_a8_e20
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ORG
NO_MASK
Social and Labour Court
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QUANTITY
QUASI
33,658 Austrian Schillings (ATS)
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001-59204_a8_e22
001-59204_a8_em22
DATETIME
QUASI
31 May 1995
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001-59204_a8_e23
001-59204_a8_em23
DATETIME
QUASI
19 July 1995
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001-59204_a8_e24
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ORG
QUASI
Vienna Court of Appeal (Oberlandesgericht)
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001-59204_a8_e25
001-59204_a8_em25
QUANTITY
QUASI
ATS 14,754
Gertrude Beer
AUT
CHAMBER
Task: Annotate the document to anonymise the following person: Gertrude Beer