PROCEDURE

The case originated in an application (no. 71152/01) 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 Kazimierz Barszcz (”the applicant”) on 18 October 2000.

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

On 6 October 2005 the Court decided to communicate the application. Applying Article 29 § 3 of the Convention, it decided to rule on the admissibility and merits of the application at the same time.

THE FACTS

THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE

On 13 December 1994, the applicant sold a horse to A.G. for PLN 2,500. Two days later the buyer returned the horse claiming that it was ill. The applicant was therefore forced to pay the costs of the horse’s upkeep during the following year. As A.G. constantly refused to take the horse back, the applicant sold it to another buyer, as he could not afford the costs of upkeep.

On 25 January 1995 A.G. lodged a suit against the applicant with the Tarnobrzeg District Court, claiming payment of the price.

On 14 March 1995 the applicant lodged a counter-claim for costs of the upkeep of the horse.

During the first hearing on 15 March 1995 the court admitted witness evidence and adjourned the case.

On 5 April 1995 the court heard witnesses and adjourned the case.

On 22 May 1995 the court admitted in evidence an opinion of a veterinary surgeon and adjourned the case.

On 25 July 1995 the expert submitted the opinion, stating that the horse was well and had never been ill.

On 6 September 1995 the court called an expert in agriculture, who estimated that the costs of upkeep of the horse had greatly exceeded its value. The court adjourned the case.

On 2 October 1995 the court heard the parties.

On 11 October 1995 the court delivered a judgment. Both parties appealed.

On 28 March 1996 the Tarnobrzeg Regional Court returned the case file to the District Court to have it completed.

On 5 September 1996 the Regional Court quashed the first-instance judgment and remitted the case for re-examination.

On 16 January 1997 the parties declared that they could not reach a friendly settlement.

On 9 October 1997 the court admitted the evidence of a witness and adjourned the case.

On 10 February 1997 a witness was heard and the case was adjourned.

On 9 April 1998 further witnesses were heard.

On 2 June 1998 the court admitted in evidence another expert’s opinion.

On 18 January 1999 the expert submitted the opinion.

On 31 March 1999 the court summoned the expert and adjourned the case.

On 5 May 1999 the court found that the plaintiff had not paid an advance for the expert’s opinion and adjourned the case until 2 June 1999. The expert failed to attend the hearing on that day and the case was adjourned until 25 June.

On 19 November 1999 the District Court delivered a judgment, ordering PLN 4,690 to be paid by the applicant with interest from 1995, and 903 PLN to be paid by A.G. to the applicant.

On 13 April 2000 the Tarnobrzeg Regional Court dismissed the appeals of both parties.
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e1
001-75527_a4_em1
CODE
DIRECT
71152/01
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-75527_a4_e2
001-75527_a4_em2
ORG
NO_MASK
Republic of Poland
ETHNIC
insert
001-75527_a4_e3
001-75527_a4_em3
DEM
NO_MASK
Polish national
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e4
001-75527_a4_em4
PERSON
DIRECT
Mr Kazimierz Barszcz
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e5
001-75527_a4_em5
DATETIME
QUASI
18 October 2000
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-75527_a4_e6
001-75527_a4_em6
ORG
NO_MASK
Polish Government
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e7
001-75527_a4_em7
PERSON
NO_MASK
Mr J. Wołąsiewicz
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-75527_a4_e8
001-75527_a4_em8
ORG
NO_MASK
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e9
001-75527_a4_em9
DATETIME
QUASI
6 October 2005
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e10
001-75527_a4_em10
DATETIME
QUASI
13 December 1994
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-75527_a4_e11
001-75527_a4_em11
MISC
QUASI
horse
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-75527_a4_e12
001-75527_a4_em12
PERSON
QUASI
A.G.
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-75527_a4_e13
001-75527_a4_em13
QUANTITY
QUASI
PLN 2,500
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e11
001-75527_a4_em14
MISC
QUASI
horse
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e11
001-75527_a4_em15
MISC
QUASI
horse
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e12
001-75527_a4_em16
PERSON
QUASI
A.G.
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e11
001-75527_a4_em17
MISC
QUASI
horse
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e14
001-75527_a4_em18
DATETIME
QUASI
25 January 1995
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-75527_a4_e12
001-75527_a4_em19
PERSON
QUASI
A.G.
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e15
001-75527_a4_em20
ORG
QUASI
Tarnobrzeg District Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e16
001-75527_a4_em21
DATETIME
QUASI
14 March 1995
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e11
001-75527_a4_em22
MISC
QUASI
horse
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e17
001-75527_a4_em23
DATETIME
QUASI
15 March 1995
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e18
001-75527_a4_em24
DATETIME
QUASI
5 April 1995
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e19
001-75527_a4_em25
DATETIME
QUASI
22 May 1995
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e20
001-75527_a4_em26
DATETIME
QUASI
25 July 1995
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e11
001-75527_a4_em27
MISC
QUASI
horse
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e21
001-75527_a4_em28
DATETIME
QUASI
6 September 1995
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e11
001-75527_a4_em29
MISC
QUASI
horse
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e22
001-75527_a4_em30
DATETIME
QUASI
2 October 1995
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e23
001-75527_a4_em31
DATETIME
QUASI
11 October 1995
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e24
001-75527_a4_em32
DATETIME
QUASI
28 March 1996
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e25
001-75527_a4_em33
ORG
QUASI
Tarnobrzeg Regional Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e26
001-75527_a4_em34
ORG
NO_MASK
District Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-75527_a4_e27
001-75527_a4_em35
DATETIME
QUASI
5 September 1996
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e28
001-75527_a4_em36
ORG
NO_MASK
Regional Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e29
001-75527_a4_em37
DATETIME
QUASI
16 January 1997
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e30
001-75527_a4_em38
DATETIME
QUASI
9 October 1997
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e31
001-75527_a4_em39
DATETIME
QUASI
10 February 1997
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e32
001-75527_a4_em40
DATETIME
QUASI
9 April 1998
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e33
001-75527_a4_em41
DATETIME
QUASI
2 June 1998
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e34
001-75527_a4_em42
DATETIME
QUASI
18 January 1999
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e35
001-75527_a4_em43
DATETIME
QUASI
31 March 1999
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e36
001-75527_a4_em44
DATETIME
QUASI
5 May 1999
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e37
001-75527_a4_em45
DATETIME
QUASI
2 June 1999
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e38
001-75527_a4_em46
DATETIME
QUASI
25 June
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e39
001-75527_a4_em47
DATETIME
QUASI
19 November 1999
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e26
001-75527_a4_em48
ORG
NO_MASK
District Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-75527_a4_e40
001-75527_a4_em49
QUANTITY
QUASI
PLN 4,690
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e41
001-75527_a4_em50
DATETIME
NO_MASK
1995
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e42
001-75527_a4_em51
QUANTITY
QUASI
903 PLN
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e12
001-75527_a4_em52
PERSON
QUASI
A.G.
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e43
001-75527_a4_em53
DATETIME
QUASI
13 April 2000
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-75527_a4_e25
001-75527_a4_em54
ORG
QUASI
Tarnobrzeg Regional Court
Kazimierz Barszcz
POL
CHAMBER
Task: Annotate the document to anonymise the following person: Kazimierz Barszcz