CEDH · CASELAW;JUDGMENTS;CHAMBER;ENG — 19 mai 2009

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height:1px; text-align:left } .s85226119 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:justify; font-size:10pt } .s653E6C45 { font-family:Arial; font-size:6.67pt; vertical-align:super; color:#0069d6 }       FOURTH SECTION       CASE OF KULIKOWSKI v. POLAND   (Application no. 18353/03)             JUDGMENT   This judgment was revised in accordance with Rule 80 of the Rules of Court in a judgment of 21 December 2010     STRASBOURG   19 May 2009   FINAL   19/08/2009   This judgment may be subject to editorial revision. In the case of Kulikowski v. Poland, The European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section), sitting as a Chamber composed of:   Nicolas Bratza, President,   Lech Garlicki,   Giovanni Bonello,   Ljiljana Mijović,   Päivi Hirvelä,   Ledi Bianku,   Nebojša Vučinić, judges and Lawrence Early, Section Registrar , Having deliberated in private on 16 April 2009, Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date: PROCEDURE 1.     The case originated in an application (no.   18353/03) 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, Mr Adam Kulikowski, on 18   May 2001. 2.     The Polish Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agent, Mr J. Wołąsiewicz of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The applicant was represented by Ms B. Słupska-Uczkiewicz, a lawyer practising in Wrocław. 3.     The applicant alleged, in particular, that his detention pending trial had exceeded a “reasonable time” within the meaning of Article 5 § 3 of the Convention. He further complained under Article 6 § 1 read together with Article 6 § 3 (c) of the Convention that he had been deprived of access to the Supreme Court. He also complained, relying on Article   8 of the Convention, of a breach of his right to respect for his family life and correspondence in that during his pre-trial detention he had not been allowed to see his minor sons and his correspondence with them had been withheld. 4.     On 27 September 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). 5.     The Government failed to submit their reply to the questions put to it by the Court. THE FACTS I.     THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE 6.     The applicant was born in 1964. He is currently serving a prison sentence. 1.     The applicant’s pre ‑ trial detention 7.     On 22 March 2000 the applicant was arrested. On 24   March 2000 he was remanded in custody by the Gliwice District Court (Sąd Rejonowy ) on suspicion that he had killed his mother. His pre ‑ trial detention was subsequently extended by the Katowice Regional Court ( Sąd Okręgowy ) on 19   June 2000, by the Katowice Court of Appeal (Sąd Apelacyjny ) on 6   September 2000, by decisions of the Gliwice Regional Court of 5   March and 13   July 2001, and by decisions of the Katowice Court of Appeal of 13   March, 29   May, 10   July and 28   August   2002. 8.     The domestic courts justified the applicant’s pre ‑ trial detention in its initial phase by the existence of strong evidence against him and the likelihood that a severe penalty would be imposed, as well as by the need to secure the proper course of the proceedings. During that time, an autopsy, a number of unspecified biological tests and an inspection of the crime scene were carried out. At the later stage of the applicant’s detention, the authorities referred to the severity of the sentence likely to be imposed on him. In addition, they emphasised that the investigation could not be completed for reasons beyond the prosecutor’s control, namely delays in obtaining expert reports and in viewing the applicant’s testimony recorded on video tape. 9.     From 17 December 2001 until 2   January 2002 the applicant was concurrently serving a sentence of sixteen days’ imprisonment, imposed on an unspecified date by the Zabrze District Court in another criminal case. 2.     Criminal proceedings against the applicant 10.     The applicant’s minor sons and his wife were witnesses in the investigation. In May 2002 the prosecutor decided that a psychologist should be present when the younger son was to be interviewed by the prosecution. Apparently the older son was also interviewed by the prosecutor on an unspecified date. The applicant submitted that his wife and two sons were not allowed, for an unspecified period, to communicate with him in writing or to visit him in prison. The prosecution relied on Article 217 of the Code of Execution of Criminal Sentences (see paragraph   30 below). 11.     The applicant was indicted on 20   November 2000. In the proceedings before the first- and second-instance courts he was represented by a legal-aid lawyer. 12.     On 14   August 2002 the Gliwice Regional Court convicted the applicant of murder and sentenced him to twelve years’ imprisonment. 13.     On 19   December 2002 the Katowice Court of Appeal upheld that judgment. A copy of the judgment was served on the applicant on 17   January 2003. 3.   Proceedings concerning the lodging of a cassation appeal against the judgment of the appellate court 14.     On 21   February 2003 the Katowice Court of Appeal appointed a legal ‑ aid lawyer for the purposes of the cassation proceedings. 15.     A copy of the judgment of 19   December 2002 was served on the legal-aid lawyer on 3 March 2003. 16.     By a letter of 20 March 2003 the lawyer informed the Katowice Court of Appeal that, in her opinion, a cassation appeal in the applicant’s case lacked prospects of success and that she therefore refused to prepare and lodge one with the Supreme Court. By a letter of 27   March 2003 the Katowice Court of Appeal informed the applicant of the lawyer’s refusal and, further, that no other legal-aid lawyer would be appointed for the purpose of lodging a cassation appeal in his case. 17.     The court’s letter was served on the applicant by the prison administration on 1   April   2003. II.     RELEVANT DOMESTIC LAW AND PRACTICE 1.   Detention on remand 18.     The relevant domestic law and practice concerning the imposition of detention on remand ( aresztowanie tymczasowe ), the grounds for its extension, release from detention and rules governing other, so-called “preventive measures” ( środki zapobiegawcze ) are stated in the Court’s judgments in the cases of Gołek v.   Poland , no.   31330/02, §§   27-33, 25   April 2006 and Celejewski v.   Poland , no.   17584/04, §§   22-23, 4   August 2006. 2.     Cassation appeal 19.     Under the Law of 6 June 1997 - Code of Criminal Procedure (“the Code”), which entered into force on 1   September 1998, a party to criminal proceedings can lodge a cassation appeal with the Supreme Court against any final decision of an appellate court which had terminated criminal proceedings. The cassation appeal has to be lodged and signed by an advocate, on pain of being declared inadmissible. The relevant part of Article   523 §   1 of the Code provides: “A cassation appeal may be lodged only on the grounds referred to in Article   439 [these include a number of procedural irregularities, such as, for instance, incorrect composition of the trial court; lack of legal assistance in cases where such assistance was compulsory; breach of the rules governing jurisdiction in criminal matters; trying a person in absentia in cases where his presence was obligatory and thus depriving him of an opportunity to defend himself, etc.] or on the ground of another flagrant breach of law provided that the judicial decision in question was affected as a result of that breach. A cassation appeal shall not lie against the severity of the penalty imposed ( niewspółmierności kary ).” 20.     Pursuant to Article 524 § 1 of the Code, a cassation appeal has to be lodged with the appellate court competent to carry out an initial examination of its admissibility within thirty days from the date of service of the judgment of the appellate court with its written grounds on the party or, if the party has been represented, on his or her lawyer. 3.     Legal assistance for the purposes of lodging a cassation appeal 21.     Under Article 83 of the Code, an accused may appoint a lawyer to represent him or her in criminal proceedings. If he or she cannot afford lawyers’ fees, a request for legal aid may be made under Article   78 of the Code. 22.     A grant of legal aid expires upon a judgment of an appellate court. A new decision on legal aid has to be made if the convicted person wishes to institute further proceedings in order to lodge a cassation appeal with the Supreme Court. The relevant part of Article 84 § 3 of the Code provides: “A defence counsel appointed under the legal ‑ aid scheme in the cassation proceedings ... shall prepare and sign a cassation appeal ... or shall inform the court, in writing, that he or she has not found any grounds for lodging a cassation appeal ... If a cassation appeal ... is lodged, the defence counsel is entitled to represent the defendant in the subsequent proceedings.” 23.     In its decision of 17 June 1997 (V KX 57/97, OSNKW 1997/9 ‑ 010/82) the Supreme Court stated that cassation proceedings had a special character in that the judgment essentially became final after it had been upheld by the appellate court. Bearing in mind the special character of these proceedings, the court was of the view that at this stage the mere fact that the convicted person was granted legal aid was sufficient to ensure an effective exercise of his or her defence rights. It was the lawyer’s task to analyse the case and establish whether there were grounds on which to lodge a cassation appeal against the judgment of the appellate court. If the lawyer was of the opinion that there were no grounds on which to do so, there was no legal basis in the Code of Criminal Procedure that would either oblige the lawyer to prepare such an appeal against his or her better judgment, or oblige the court to assign another lawyer to prepare such an appeal in the case. 24.     In its decision of 25 March 1998 the Supreme Court stated that the refusal of a legal ‑ aid lawyer to lodge a cassation appeal did not constitute a valid ground for granting retrospective leave to lodge such an appeal by another lawyer out of time (V KZ 12/98). It confirmed this ruling in a further decision of 1 December 1999. The Supreme Court observed that the court could only assign a new legal-aid lawyer to the case if it were shown that the first lawyer had been negligent in his or her task of assessing whether a cassation appeal had any prospects of success. If this were not the case, a court was not obliged to assign a new legal-aid lawyer to represent the convicted person and its refusal was not subject to appeal (III KZ 139/99). 25.     In a later decision of 1 July 1999 the Supreme Court expressed the opinion that such negligence could be proved only in disciplinary proceedings instituted against a lawyer under the provisions of the Bar Act (V KZ 33/99). 26.     In its decisions of 13 March and 17 September 2002 the Supreme Court expressed the view that when a legal-aid lawyer refused to represent a convicted person before the Supreme Court, the appellate court was not obliged to assign a new lawyer to the case (II KZ 11/02, II KZ 36/02). 27.     On 26 February 2002 the Supreme Court changed its previous position concerning the date from which the time ‑ limit for lodging of a cassation appeal started to run (see paragraph 20 above). It examined a particular situation where a legal-aid lawyer had refused to represent a convicted person for the purposes of cassation proceedings, finding that a cassation appeal would offer no prospects of success. It held that in such a situation the appellate court was obliged to instruct the defendant that the time-limit for lodging a cassation appeal started to run only on the date on which the defendant was served with the lawyer’s refusal and not on the earlier date when the judgment of the appellate court was served on the defendant himself. It stated that it was not open to doubt that a defendant faced with the legal-aid lawyer’s refusal had a right to take other measures to seek legal assistance necessary for an effective lodging of a cassation appeal (III KZ 87/01). The Supreme Court reiterated its position in a decision of 6 May 2008 and in a number of similar decisions given in 2008. It observed that there had been certain discrepancies in the judicial practice as to the manner in which the time-limit in such situations was calculated, but the strand of the case-law launched by the decision given in February 2002 was both dominant and correct, and also accepted by doctrine as providing to the defendants adequate procedural guarantees of access to the Supreme Court within a reasonable time-frame (II KZ 16/08). 4.   Detainees’ correspondence and contacts with family 28.     Rules relating to means of controlling correspondence of persons involved in criminal proceedings are set out in the Code of Execution of Criminal Sentences ( Kodeks karny wykonawczy ) (“the 1997 Code”) which entered into force on 1   September 1998. 29.     Article   214 § 1 reads as follows: “Unless exceptions are provided for in the present Chapter, a detainee shall enjoy at least the same rights as those secured to a convicted person serving a sentence of imprisonment under the ordinary regime in a closed prison. No restrictions shall be applied to him except such as are necessary to secure the proper conduct of criminal proceedings, to maintain order and security in a remand centre and to prevent demoralisation of detainees.” 30.     Article 217 § 1 reads, in so far as relevant, as follows: “(...) detainee’s correspondence shall be censored by [the authority at whose disposal he remains], unless the authority decides otherwise.” This provision further provides that a detainee is allowed to receive visitors, provided that he has obtained permission from the investigating prosecutor (at the investigative stage) or from the trial court (once the trial has begun). 31.     On 1 September 1998 the Rules of Detention on Remand ( Rozporządzenie Ministra Sprawiedliwości w sprawie regulaminu wykonywania tymczasowego aresztowania ) entered into force. Paragraph   36 of the Rules provides: “The detainee’s correspondence ... is dispatched through the intermediary of the authority at whose disposal he remains.” III.   RELEVANT NON-CONVENTION MATERIAL 32.     In 1990, the UN adopted the Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers (the Basic Principles). They provide, in particular: “13. The duties of lawyers towards their clients shall include: (a) Advising clients as to their legal rights and obligations, and as to the working of the legal system in so far as it is relevant to the legal rights and obligations of the clients; (b) Assisting clients in every appropriate way, and taking legal action to protect their interests; (c) Assisting clients before courts, tribunals or administrative authorities, where appropriate. 14. Lawyers, in protecting the rights of their clients and in promoting the cause of justice, shall seek to uphold human rights and fundamental freedoms recognized by national and international law and shall at all times act freely and diligently in accordance with the law and recognized standards and ethics of the legal profession. 15. Lawyers shall always loyally respect the interests of their clients. 33.     A number of recommendations have been adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe with regard to access to justice and the provision of legal-aid services. In particular, Recommendation No.   R   (81) 7 on measures facilitating access to justice provides:   “4. No litigant should be prevented from being assisted by a lawyer. The compulsory recourse of a party to the services of an unnecessary plurality of lawyers for the need of a particular case is to be avoided. Where, having regard to the nature of the matter involved, it would be desirable, in order to facilitate access to justice, for an individual to put his own case before the courts, then representation by a lawyer should not be compulsory.” 34.     The relevant parts of Recommendation No. R (93) 1 of the Committee of Ministers to Member States on effective access to the law and to justice for the very poor read as follows: “Recalling that in addition to the right of access to the law and to justice provided for in Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, the other provisions of the Convention and particularly Articles 2, 3 and 8 are equally applicable to the very poor, as are the other legal instruments of the Council of Europe such as the European Social Charter; Considering that this recommendation is intended to improve, especially with regard to the very poor, existing legal advice and legal aid systems, and therefore to complement existing machinery with regard to the other categories of people for which the systems were designed. Recommends that the governments of member states: 1. Facilitate access to the law for the very poor (“the right to the protection of the law”) by: ... b. promoting legal advice services for the very poor; ... 3. Facilitate effective access to the courts for the very poor, especially by the following means: c. recognising the right to be assisted by an appropriate counsel, as far as possible of one’s choice, who will receive adequate remuneration; e. simplifying the procedure for granting legal aid to the very poor, [...]” 35.     In 2000 the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted Recommendation No. R (2000) 21. The Recommendation further developed the Basic Principles at European level. In particular, it emphasised access for all persons to lawyers as well as the role and duties of lawyers. More specifically, it provided: “The Committee of Ministers, under the terms of Article 15.b of the Statue of the Council of Europe, [...] Underlining the fundamental role that lawyers and professional associations of lawyers also play in ensuring the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms; [...] Considering that access to justice may require persons in an economically weak position to obtain the services of lawyers, Recommends the governments of member States to take or reinforce, as the case may be, all measures they consider necessary with a view to the implementation of the principles contained in this Recommendation. 1. All necessary measures should be taken to respect, protect and promote the freedom of exercise of the profession of lawyer without discrimination and without improper interference from the authorities or the public, in particular in the light of the relevant provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights. 1. All necessary measures should be taken to ensure that all persons have effective access to legal services provided by independent lawyers, 2. Lawyers should be encouraged to provide legal services to persons in an economically weak position. 3. Governments of member States should, where appropriate to ensure effective access to justice, ensure that effective legal services are available to persons in an economically weak position, in particular to persons deprived of their liberty. 4. Lawyers’ duties towards their clients should not be affected by the fact that fees are paid wholly or in part from the public funds.”   IV.     THE RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE’S COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS A.     The Committee of Ministers 36.     On 6   June 2007 the Committee of Ministers adopted an Interim Resolution concerning the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights   in 44 cases against Poland relating to the excessive length of detention on remand (“the 2007 Resolution”). Noting that the number of cases in which the European Court had found violations of Article   5 §   3 of the Convention against Poland was constantly increasing, it concluded that this revealed a structural problem. A more detailed rendition of the 2007 Resolution can be found in the Court’s judgment given in the case of Kauczor v.   Poland (see Kauczor v.   Poland , no.   45219/06, §   34, 3   February 2009; not final). B.     The Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights 37.     On 20 June 2007 the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights released a Memorandum to the Polish Government concerning, among other issues, the use of the detention measure in Poland, stressing that examples of cases brought to the Court where pre-trial detention had lasted between 4 to 6 years were not uncommon. The Commissioner urged the Polish authorities to review the application and functioning of pre-trial detention in Polish law. A more detailed rendition of the relevant parts of the Memorandum can be found in the above mentioned Kauczor judgment (see Kauczor v.   Poland , cited above, §   35). THE LAW I.     ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 5 § 3 OF THE CONVENTION 38.     The applicant complained that the length of his detention pending trial had been excessive. He relied on Article   5 §   3 of the Convention, which, in so far as relevant, reads as follows: “Everyone arrested or detained in accordance with the provisions of paragraph   1   (c) of this Article shall be ... entitled to trial within a reasonable time or to release pending trial. Release may be conditioned by guarantees to appear for trial.” A.     Admissibility 39.     The Court notes that this complaint is not manifestly ill-founded within the meaning of Article 35 § 3 of the Convention. It further notes that it is not inadmissible on any other grounds. It must therefore be declared admissible.   B.     Merits 1.     Period to be taken into consideration 40.     The applicant’s detention started on 22 March 2000, when he was arrested. From 17   December 2001 until 2 January 2002 the applicant was concurrently serving a sentence of 16 days’ imprisonment, imposed on him in another criminal case. This period, being covered by Article   5 §   1 (a), must therefore be subtracted from the period of the applicant’s pre ‑ trial detention for the purposes of Article   5   §   3. 41.     On 14 August 2002 the Gliwice Regional Court convicted him as charged. As from that date he was detained “after conviction by a competent court”, within the meaning of Article 5 § 1 (a) and, consequently, that period of his detention falls outside the scope of Article   5 §   3 (see Kudła v. Poland [GC], no.   30210/96, §   104). Accordingly, the period to be taken into consideration amounts to two years, four months and six days. 2.     The Court’s assessment 42.     The applicant submitted that his detention pending trial had been excessively long. 43.     The Court observes that the general principles regarding the right “to trial within a reasonable time or to release pending trial, as guaranteed by Article 5 § 3 of the Convention have been stated in a number of its previous judgments (see, among many other authorities, Kudła, cited above , §   110 et seq , ECHR 2000 ‑ XI; and McKay v.   the United Kingdom [GC], no.   543/03, §§ 41-44, ECHR 2006-..., with further references). 44.     In their detention decisions, the authorities, in addition to the reasonable suspicion against the applicant, relied principally on three grounds, namely, the serious nature of the offence with which he had been charged, the severity of the penalty to which he was liable and on the need to secure the proper conduct of the proceedings. 45.     The Court accepts that the reasonable suspicion against the applicant of having committed a serious offence could initially warrant his detention. Also, the need to secure the proper conduct of the proceedings, in particular the process of obtaining evidence from witnesses constituted valid grounds for the applicant’s initial detention. 46.     However, with the passage of time, those grounds became less and less relevant. The Court must then establish whether the other grounds adduced by the courts – namely, the severity of the anticipated sentence – were “relevant” and “sufficient” (see, Kudła cited above, §   111). 47.     According to the authorities, the likelihood of a severe sentence being imposed on the applicant created a presumption that the applicant would obstruct the proceedings. They relied on that ground of the applicant’s detention during its entire duration. However, the Court would reiterate that, while the severity of the sentence faced is a relevant element in the assessment of the risk of absconding or re-offending, the gravity of the charges cannot by itself justify long periods of detention pending trial (see Michta v.   Poland , no.   13425/02, §§ 49, 4   May 2006). 48.     The Court further emphasises that, when deciding whether a person is to be released or detained, the authorities are obliged under Article   5 §   3 to consider alternative means of guaranteeing his appearance at the trial. Indeed, that Article lays down not only the right to “trial within a reasonable time or release pending trial” but also provides that “release may be conditioned by guarantees to appear for trial” (see Jabłoński v.   Poland, no.   33492/96, §   83, 21   December 2000). In the present case, the Court notes that there is no express indication that during the entire period of the applicant’s pre-trial detention the authorities envisaged any other guarantees designed to secure his appearance at the trial. Nor did they give any consideration to the possibility of ensuring his presence at trial by imposing on him other “preventive measures” expressly intended to secure the proper conduct of criminal proceedings. 49.     The Court further notes that the applicant was detained on charges of murder. It does not appear therefore that his case presented particular difficulties for the investigation authorities, especially since it had been committed in a family setting, and for the courts to determine the facts and mount a case against the perpetrator, as would undoubtedly have been the case had the proceedings concerned organised crime (see Celejewski v.   Poland, no.   17584/04, § 37, 4   May 2006; Bąk v.   Poland , no.   7870/04, §   64, ECHR 2007 ‑ ... (extracts)). 50.     Lastly, the Court observes that the difficulties involved in the taking of the expert evidence on which the authorities relied at the later stage of the proceedings (see paragraph 8 above) cannot justify the lengthy period of the applicant’s detention. The Court sees no cause in the circumstances of the present case for departing from the usual principle that the primary responsibility for delays resulting from the provision of expert opinions rests ultimately with the State (see, mutatis mutandis , Capuano v. Italy , 25 June 1987, § 32, Series A no. 119; Musiał v.   Poland [GC], no.   24557/94, §   46, ECHR 1999 ‑ II). 51.     Having regard to the foregoing, the Court concludes that the grounds given by the domestic authorities could not justify the overall period of the applicant’s detention. In these circumstances it is not necessary to examine whether the proceedings were conducted with special diligence. There has accordingly been a violation of Article   5 §   3 of the Convention. II.     ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 6 § 1 IN CONJUNCTION WITH ARTICLE 6 § 3 (c ) OF THE CONVENTION 52.     The applicant further complained that as a result of the legal ‑ aid lawyer’s refusal to draft a cassation appeal he had been denied effective access to the Supreme Court. He relied on Article 6 § 1 taken together with Article   6 §   3 (c) of the Convention. Those provisions, insofar as relevant, read:   “In the determination of ... any criminal charge against him, everyone is entitled to a fair ... hearing ... by [a] ... tribunal ...” 3.     Everyone charged with a criminal offence has the following minimum rights: ...   (c)     to defend himself in person or through legal assistance of his own choosing or, if he has not sufficient means to pay for legal assistance, to be given it free when the interests of justice so require” A.     Admissibility 53.     The Court considers that this complaint is not manifestly ill ‑ founded within the meaning of Article 35 § 3 of the Convention. No other ground for declaring it inadmissible has been established. It must therefore be declared admissible. B.     Merits 1.   The applicant’s submissions 54.     The applicant submitted that the legal-aid lawyer’s refusal to prepare a cassation appeal and the court’s refusal to assign a new legal-aid lawyer to the case rendered the proceedings unfair. He had thereby been deprived of the possibility of having the shortcomings of the proceedings examined by the Supreme Court and of access to that court. The mere fact that he had been granted legal aid should not have been regarded by the domestic authorities as offering him an effective guarantee that his defence rights would be duly observed. The applicant further criticised the case ‑ law of the Supreme Court to the effect that the court could only assign a new legal-aid lawyer to the case if it had been shown that the first lawyer had been negligent in his or her task of assessing whether a cassation appeal had any prospects of success. This approach had been followed de facto in his case. The applicant concluded, referring to the Court’s judgments in the cases of Siałkowska v.   Poland , no.   8932/05, 22   March 2007 and Staroszczyk v.   Poland , no.   59519/00, 22   March 2007, that he could not effectively enjoy his right to defend himself with the benefit of legal assistance, including before the Supreme Court. 2.     Principles established by the Court’s case-law a)     The scope of the State’s liability ratione personae under the Convention 55.     The Court first notes that the guarantees in paragraph   3 of Article   6 are specific aspects of the right to a fair trial in criminal proceedings as set forth in paragraph 1 of the same Article. Accordingly, the applicant’s complaint will be examined under these provisions taken together (see, among other authorities, Benham v.   the United Kingdom, judgment of 10   June   1996, Reports of Judgments and Decisions 1996-III, p.   755, §   52; Bobek v.   Poland , no.   68761/01, §   55, 17   July 2007). 56.     The Court observes at the outset that the responsibility of the Contracting Parties is incurred by the actions of their organs. A lawyer, even if officially appointed, cannot be considered to be an organ of the State. Given the independence of the legal profession from the State, the conduct of the case is essentially a matter between the defendant and his or her counsel, whether counsel be appointed under a legal ‑ aid scheme or be privately financed, and, as such, cannot, other than in special circumstances, incur the State’s liability under the Convention (see Artico v.   Italy , judgment of 30   May 1980, Series A no.   37, p.   18, §   36; Daud v.   Portugal judgment of 21   April 1998, Reports 1998-II, p.   749, §   38; Tuziński v.   Poland (dec), no.   40140/98, 30.03.1999; Rutkowski v.   Poland (dec.), no.   45995/99, ECHR 2000-XI; Cuscani v.   the United Kingdom , no.   32771/96, §   39, 24   September 2002). 57.     Nevertheless, assigning counsel to represent a party to the proceedings does not in itself ensure the effectiveness of the assistance (see Imbrioscia v. Switzerland , judgment of 24 November 1993, Series A no.   275, §   38). There may be occasions when the State should act and not remain passive when problems of legal representation are brought to the attention of the competent authorities. It will depend on the circumstances of the case whether, taking the proceedings as a whole, the legal representation may be regarded as practical and effective (see, mutatis mutandis , Artico , cited above, §   33; Goddi v.   Italy, judgment of 9   April 1984, Series A no.   76, p.   11, §   27; Rutkowski, cited above; Staroszczyk v.   Poland , cited above, §§   121-122, Siałkowska v.   Poland , cited above, §§   99-100).   b)     Access to court 58.     The Court further emphasises the importance of the right of access to a court, having regard to the prominent place held in a democratic society by the right to a fair trial (see Airey v.   Ireland , judgment of 9   October 1979, Series A no. 32, p.   12-13, §   24). A restrictive interpretation of that right would not be consonant with the object and purpose of this provision (see De Cubber v.   Belgium , judgment of 26   October 1984, Series A no.   86, §   30).     However, this right is not absolute, but may be subject to limitations; these are permitted by implication since the right of access by its very nature calls for regulation by the State (see Edificaciones March Gallego S.A. v.   Spain , judgment of 19   February 1998, 1998 ‑ I, §   34 and Garcia Manibardo v.   Spain , no.   38695/97, §   36). In this respect, the Contracting States enjoy a certain margin of appreciation, although the final decision as to the observance of the Convention’s requirements rests with the Court. It must be satisfied that the limitations applied do not restrict or reduce the access left to the individual in such a way or to such an extent that the very essence of the right is impaired. Furthermore, a limitation will not be compatible with Article 6 § 1 if it does not pursue a legitimate aim and if there is not a reasonable relationship of proportionality between the means employed and the aim sought to be achieved (see Ashingdane v.   the United Kingdom , judgment of 28   May 1985, Series A no.   93, p.   24, §   57; Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein v.   Germany [GC], no.   42527/98, §   44, ECHR 2001 – VIII, mutatis mutandis ). 59.     The Convention does not compel the Contracting States to set up courts of appeal or of cassation. However, where such courts do exist, the guarantees of Article 6 must be complied with.     The manner in which this provision applies to courts of appeal or of cassation depends on the special features of the proceedings concerned and account must be taken of the entirety of the proceedings conducted in the domestic legal order and the court of cassation’s role in them. Given the special nature of the court of cassation’s role, which is limited to reviewing whether the law has been correctly applied, the Court is able to accept that the procedure followed in such courts may be more formal (see Meftah and Others v.   France [GC], nos.   32911/96, 35237/97 and 34595/97, §   41, ECHR 2002 ‑ VII; Staroszczyk v.   Poland , cited above, §   25 and Siałkowska v.   Poland , cited above, §   104). However, the Court must satisfy itself that the method chosen by the domestic authorities in a particular case is compatible with the Convention. (see, mutatis mutandis , Artico , cited above, §   33; Goddi v.   Italy, judgment of 9   April 1984, Series A no.   76, p.   11, § 27; Rutkowski, cited above; Staroszczyk v.   Poland , cited above, §§   121-122, Siałkowska v.   Poland , cited above, §§ 99-100). In discharging its obligation to provide parties to criminal proceedings with legal aid, when this is provided for by domestic law, the State must, moreover, display diligence so as to secure to those persons the genuine and effective enjoyment of the rights guaranteed under Article 6 (see R.D. v.   Poland , nos.   29692/96 and 34612/97, §   44, 18   December 2001). 3.     Application of the principles to the facts of the case 60.     Turning to the circumstances of the present case, the Court observes that the Polish law of criminal procedure requires that a person whose conviction has been upheld by an appellate court should be assisted by a lawyer in the preparation of his or her cassation appeal against a judgment given by that court. The Court reiterates that the requirement that an appellant be represented by a qualified lawyer before a court of cassation cannot, in itself, be seen as contrary to Article 6. This requirement is clearly compatible with the characteristics of the Supreme Court as the highest court in Poland examining appeals on points of law and it is a common feature of the legal systems in several member States of the Council of Europe (see Vacher v.   France, judgment of 17 December 1996, Reports 1996-VI, pp.   2148-49, §§   24 and 28; Staroszczyk v.   Poland , cited above, §   128). 61.     The Court further notes that in the present case the Court of Appeal allowed the applicant’s request for legal aid for the purposes of cassation proceedings. The lawyer subsequently advised the court, by a letter dated 20   March 2003 that, in her view, a cassation appeal against the judgment of the appellate court did not offer reasonable prospects of success. 62.     The Court notes that the Polish Supreme Court, in its decision of 17   June 1997, stated that the role of a legal ‑ aid lawyer had to be understood as obliging him or her to provide comprehensive legal advice to the party, including as to the prospects of success offered by a cassation appeal in a given individual case. It concluded that it was permissible for a legal-aid lawyer assigned to a criminal case to refuse to prepare and lodge a cassation appeal and reiterated this conclusion in its subsequent case-law (see paragraphs 23–26 above). From the standpoint of Article   6 of the Convention and bearing in mind the nature of a cassation appeal in the context of criminal proceedings, the Court cannot but endorse this conclusion (see Staroszczyk v.   Poland , cited above, §   113, mutatis mutandis ). 63.     In this connection, the Court emphasises that it is the responsibility of the State to ensure the requisite balance between, on the one hand, effective enjoyment of access to justice and the independence of the legal profession on the other (see Siałkowska v.   Poland , cited above, §   112; Staroszczyk v.   Poland , cited above, §   133). The mere fact that a legal- ‑ aid lawyer can refuse to represent a defendant in proceedings before the highest court cannot be said to be, of itself, tantamount to a denial of legal assistance which is incompatible with the State’s obligations under Article   6 of the Convention. 64.     The Court further reiterates that although admissibility conditions for appeals are necessary to ensure legal certainty and a proper administration of justice and litigants should normally expect those rules to be applied, a particularly strict interpretation of a procedural rule may deprive an applicant of the right of access to a court (see Běleš and others v.   Czech Republic , no.   47273/99, §   60, 12   November 2002; Zvolský and Zvolská v.   Czech Republic , no.   46129/99, 12   November 2002; Kemp and Others v.   Luxembourg , no.   17140/05, § 42, 24 April 2008, mutatis mutandis ). 65.     In this connection, the Court notes that the Supreme Court in a series of decisions noted the difficulties which could arise for the defendant in securing an effective access to the cassation court where the grant of legal aid for the purposes of cassation proceedings had been made but the legal ‑ aid lawyer subsequently concluded that a cassation appeal offered no prospects of success. The Supreme Court has examined the manner in which the beginning of the relevant time-limit should be determined in such special circumstances. It held, in its decision of 26   February 2002, that following a legal ‑ aid lawyer’s refusa