PROCEDURE

The case originated in an application (no. 28895/95) against the Republic of Austria lodged with the European Commission of Human Rights (“the Commission”) under former Article 25 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) by an Austrian national, Mr. Adolf Holzinger (“the applicant”), on 28 June 1995.

The Austrian Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agent, Ambassador H. Winkler, Head of the International Law Department at the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The applicant alleged in particular that civil proceedings instituted by him in 1987 had been unfair and lasted unreasonably long.

On 27 November 1996 the Commission decided to communicate to the respondent Government the applicant’s complaint about the length of the proceedings and declared the remainder of the application inadmissible.

The application was transmitted to the Court on 1 November 1998, when Protocol No. 11 to the Convention came into force (Article 5 § 2 of Protocol No. 11).

The application was allocated to the Third Section of the Court (Rule 52 § 1 of the Rules of Court). Within that Section, the Chamber that would consider the case (Article 27 § 1 of the Convention) was constituted as provided in Rule 26 § 1 of the Rules of Court.

By a decision of 12 October 1999 the Chamber declared the remainder of the application admissible.

On 8 February 2000 the Chamber decided to request the parties to submit further observations, which the Government did on 27 March 2000 and the applicant on 19 May 2000.

After having consulted the Agent of the Government and the applicant, the Chamber decided not to hold a hearing.

THE FACTS

I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE

On 8 July 1987 the applicant brought proceedings (17 C 1018/87) in the Salzburg District Court (Bezirksgericht) against a former lawyer for the sum of AS 11,294.05. The lawyer opposed the proceedings, and a hearing was held on 25 January 1988. The court decided to adjourn the proceedings until other proceedings (20 SW 2/87) had been determined. The latter ended on 15 March 1988, and on 12 April 1988 the applicant requested the continuation of the second proceedings (17 C 1018/87), increasing the amount claimed. On 26 April 1988 the applicant filed an extensive request for the taking of evidence and, at the same time, reduced his claim. On 23 June 1988 the District Court invited the defendant to comment on the applicant’s submissions, which he did on 23 November 1988. Meanwhile, on 8 August 1988, the applicant requested the District Court to join the present proceedings with other proceedings (3 Cg 216/88) pending before the same court. On 6 October 1988 the District Court dismissed this request. From November 1988 the applicant was represented by a lawyer but continued to make applications to the court on his own behalf.

On 1 November 1988 and again on 4 November 1989 the judge dealing with the applicant’s case was replaced.

A second hearing took place on 1 December 1989. The court adjourned the case pending the outcome of further parallel proceedings (3 Cg 216/88) against the same defendant. The final decision in the latter proceedings entered into force on 4 November 1993, and on 15 November 1993 the applicant requested the resumption of the previous proceedings. He also increased the amount claimed.

On 12 December 1994 a hearing was held in the case. The applicant limited the amount claimed to AS 24,339.80 and submitted further documentation. The court adjourned the hearing for the files in all parallel proceedings to be obtained.

On 16 January 1995 the defendant died. On 18 April 1995 the case was adjourned (unterbrochen) pursuant to Article 155 of the Code of Civil Procedure (Zivilprozessordnung). On 4 May 1995 the applicant applied for the proceedings to be continued, and on 29 June 1995 the applicant purported to withdraw his action as he (wrongly) thought that it was statute-barred. On 19 March 1997 the applicant applied for the proceedings to be “re-opened” on the ground that his belief that the action was statute-barred derived from misleading information given by the defendant’s insurer. On 11 April 1997 the applicant revoked his withdrawal, and again applied for the proceedings to be continued.

The Salzburg District Court rejected the applications for continuation, and declined to re-open the proceedings as no final decision had been taken. The applicant appealed.

On 23 July 1997 the Salzburg Regional Court (Landesgericht) allowed the applicant’s appeal in part, and remitted the case to the District Court which, on 20 July 1998, gave judgment in the applicant’s favour as to AS 15,157.80 and against him as to AS 9,182. The applicant was awarded his costs. The applicant’s appeal against the part of the judgment against him was dismissed by the Salzburg Regional Court on 20 January 1999. The latter judgment was received by the applicant’s representative on 4 February 1999.
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001-59166_a8_e1
001-59166_a8_em1
CODE
DIRECT
28895/95
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001-59166_a8_e2
001-59166_a8_em2
ORG
NO_MASK
Republic of Austria
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001-59166_a8_e3
001-59166_a8_em3
DEM
NO_MASK
Austrian
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001-59166_a8_e4
001-59166_a8_em4
PERSON
DIRECT
Mr. Adolf Holzinger
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001-59166_a8_e5
001-59166_a8_em5
DATETIME
QUASI
28 June 1995
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001-59166_a8_e6
001-59166_a8_em6
ORG
NO_MASK
Austrian Government
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001-59166_a8_e7
001-59166_a8_em7
PERSON
QUASI
H. Winkler
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001-59166_a8_e8
001-59166_a8_em8
ORG
NO_MASK
International Law Department
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001-59166_a8_e9
001-59166_a8_em9
ORG
NO_MASK
Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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001-59166_a8_e10
001-59166_a8_em10
DATETIME
QUASI
1987
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001-59166_a8_e11
001-59166_a8_em11
DATETIME
QUASI
27 November 1996
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001-59166_a8_e12
001-59166_a8_em12
DATETIME
QUASI
12 October 1999
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001-59166_a8_e13
001-59166_a8_em13
DATETIME
QUASI
8 February 2000
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001-59166_a8_e14
001-59166_a8_em14
DATETIME
QUASI
27 March 2000
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001-59166_a8_e15
001-59166_a8_em15
DATETIME
QUASI
19 May 2000
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001-59166_a8_e16
001-59166_a8_em16
DATETIME
QUASI
8 July 1987
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001-59166_a8_e17
001-59166_a8_em17
CODE
QUASI
17 C 1018/87
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001-59166_a8_e18
001-59166_a8_em18
ORG
QUASI
Salzburg District Court (Bezirksgericht)
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001-59166_a8_e19
001-59166_a8_em19
QUANTITY
QUASI
AS 11,294.05
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001-59166_a8_e20
001-59166_a8_em20
DATETIME
QUASI
25 January 1988
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001-59166_a8_e21
001-59166_a8_em21
CODE
QUASI
20 SW 2/87
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001-59166_a8_e22
001-59166_a8_em22
DATETIME
QUASI
15 March 1988
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001-59166_a8_e23
001-59166_a8_em23
DATETIME
QUASI
12 April 1988
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001-59166_a8_e17
001-59166_a8_em24
CODE
QUASI
17 C 1018/87
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001-59166_a8_e24
001-59166_a8_em25
DATETIME
QUASI
26 April 1988
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001-59166_a8_e25
001-59166_a8_em26
DATETIME
QUASI
23 June 1988
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001-59166_a8_e26
001-59166_a8_em27
ORG
NO_MASK
District Court
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001-59166_a8_e27
001-59166_a8_em28
DATETIME
QUASI
23 November 1988
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001-59166_a8_e28
001-59166_a8_em29
DATETIME
QUASI
8 August 1988
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001-59166_a8_e26
001-59166_a8_em30
ORG
NO_MASK
District Court
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001-59166_a8_e29
001-59166_a8_em31
CODE
QUASI
3 Cg 216/88
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001-59166_a8_e30
001-59166_a8_em32
DATETIME
QUASI
6 October 1988
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001-59166_a8_e26
001-59166_a8_em33
ORG
NO_MASK
District Court
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001-59166_a8_e31
001-59166_a8_em34
DATETIME
QUASI
November 1988
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001-59166_a8_e32
001-59166_a8_em35
DATETIME
QUASI
1 November 1988
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001-59166_a8_e33
001-59166_a8_em36
DATETIME
QUASI
4 November 1989
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001-59166_a8_e34
001-59166_a8_em37
DATETIME
QUASI
1 December 1989
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001-59166_a8_e29
001-59166_a8_em38
CODE
QUASI
3 Cg 216/88
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001-59166_a8_e35
001-59166_a8_em39
DATETIME
QUASI
4 November 1993
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001-59166_a8_e36
001-59166_a8_em40
DATETIME
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15 November 1993
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001-59166_a8_e37
001-59166_a8_em41
DATETIME
QUASI
12 December 1994
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001-59166_a8_e38
001-59166_a8_em42
QUANTITY
QUASI
AS 24,339.80
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001-59166_a8_e39
001-59166_a8_em43
DATETIME
QUASI
16 January 1995
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001-59166_a8_e40
001-59166_a8_em44
DATETIME
QUASI
18 April 1995
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001-59166_a8_e41
001-59166_a8_em45
DATETIME
QUASI
4 May 1995
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001-59166_a8_e42
001-59166_a8_em46
DATETIME
QUASI
29 June 1995
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001-59166_a8_e43
001-59166_a8_em47
DATETIME
QUASI
19 March 1997
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001-59166_a8_e44
001-59166_a8_em48
DATETIME
QUASI
11 April 1997
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001-59166_a8_e45
001-59166_a8_em49
ORG
QUASI
Salzburg District Court
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001-59166_a8_e46
001-59166_a8_em50
DATETIME
QUASI
23 July 1997
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001-59166_a8_e47
001-59166_a8_em51
ORG
QUASI
Salzburg Regional Court (Landesgericht)
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001-59166_a8_e26
001-59166_a8_em52
ORG
NO_MASK
District Court
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001-59166_a8_e48
001-59166_a8_em53
DATETIME
QUASI
20 July 1998
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001-59166_a8_e49
001-59166_a8_em54
QUANTITY
QUASI
AS 15,157.80
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001-59166_a8_e50
001-59166_a8_em55
QUANTITY
QUASI
AS 9,182
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001-59166_a8_e51
001-59166_a8_em56
ORG
QUASI
Salzburg Regional Court
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001-59166_a8_e52
001-59166_a8_em57
DATETIME
QUASI
20 January 1999
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001-59166_a8_e53
001-59166_a8_em58
DATETIME
QUASI
4 February 1999
Adolf Holzinger
AUT
CHAMBER
Task: Annotate the document to anonymise the following person: Adolf Holzinger