CEDH · CASELAW;COMMUNICATEDCASES;ENG — 7 février 2022

.s800EAC49 { font-size:12pt } .s379BC09C { margin-top:36pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:right } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial } .s10950C61 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-indent:14.2pt; text-align:justify } .s5E1364CA { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:12pt; text-align:center; page-break-inside:avoid; page-break-after:avoid; font-size:14pt } .s339D85E6 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:14pt; text-align:center; page-break-inside:avoid; page-break-after:avoid } .s665E407E { margin-top:66pt; margin-bottom:14pt; text-align:center; page-break-inside:avoid; page-break-after:avoid } .s29100277 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } .sBE2D5B29 { margin-top:66pt; margin-bottom:14pt; text-align:justify; page-break-inside:avoid; page-break-after:avoid } .s4ACA9207 { page-break-before:always; clear:both; mso-break-type:section-break } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .s75A32C27 { border-collapse:collapse } .s3695F815 { border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top; background-color:#dfdfdf } .s2EB42ED2 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:10pt } .sEECE831 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#474747 } .s8410D249 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-indent:22.5pt; font-size:10pt } .sE8934522 { border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top } Published on 28 February 2022   FIRST SECTION Application no. 24735/16 Cecilia RULLO against Italy and 29 other applications (see list appended) communicated on 7 February 2022 SUBJECT MATTER OF THE CASES The applications concern the application of retrospective legislation, specifically Article 1 § 218 of Law no. 266/2005 of 23 December 2005 to pending national proceedings commenced by the applicants. The applicants (or their ascendants or spouses) had initially been employed by the local government authorities. When they were transferred, under Article 8 of Law no. 124/1999, to work for the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research, their length of service with the local government authorities, their original employer, was not fully recognised for financial and legal purposes. The applicants lodged proceedings before national courts (see appended table for details) arguing that the conversion of their salary into a notional length of service with the new employer upon transfer had been unlawful and detrimental. They sought placement in the professional grade corresponding to their full length of service from the date of the transfer as well as the determination of any compensation due to them. After the issuance of the judgments of first instance, Article 1 § 218 of Law no. 266/2005 of 23   December 2005 entered into force. This provision intended to give effect to what the legislator claimed to be the original intention of the Parliament when adopting Article 8 of Law no. 124/1999. Relying on that interpretative law the domestic courts dismissed the applicants’ claims. The applicants challenged the judgments before the Court of Cassation. In the course of the proceedings, following the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union of 6 September 2011 in Scattolon , C-108/10, the Court of Cassation remitted the case to the courts of appeal for determination of whether the transferred employees had suffered a substantial loss of salary solely as a result of the transfer. The domestic courts dismissed the applicants’ claims. The applicants appealed against those judgments and the Court of Cassation dismissed their appeals. In some of its judgments, the Court of Cassation refused to refer a question of constitutionality of Article 1 § 218 of Law no.   266/2005, stating that the matter had already been assessed by the Constitutional Court. According to the Court of Cassation, in particular, there was no reason to refer a new question of the constitutionality of the contested provision, even though the Constitutional Court had decided before the delivery of the Court’s judgment in Agrati and Others v. Italy , nos. 43549/08 and 2 others, 7 June 2011, since the Constitutional Court had recognised the existence of overriding reasons relating to the public interest which justified retrospective application of the contested law and had established that the power to make such assessment rested with the Constitutional Court itself. QUESTIONS TO THE PARTIES 1.     Did the applicants have a fair hearing in the determination of their civil rights and obligations, in accordance with Article 6 § 1 of the Convention? In particular, was there interference by the legislature with the administration of justice designed to influence the judicial determination of a dispute on account of the retrospective application to their case of Article   1 §   218 of Law no. 266/2005 (see Agrati and Others v. Italy , nos.   43549/08 and   2 others, 7 June 2011, and Cicero and Others v. Italy , nos. 29483/11 and   4   others, 30 January 2020 )? If so, was that interference based on compelling grounds of general interest?   2.     Has there been an interference with the applicants’ peaceful enjoyment of their possessions, within the meaning of Article 1 of Protocol No.   1, considering the enactment of Article 1 § 218 of Law no. 266/2005? If so, did the interference impose an excessive individual burden on the applicants? ADDITIONAL QUESTION TO THE PARTIES AS REGARDS APPLICATIONS NOS. 24043/19, 25208/19, 25216/19, 27807/19, 27988/19, 27990/19, 30650/19, 42368/19, 42374/19, 42376/19, 42489/19, 43936/19, 47248/19, 23252/21 AND 52069/21 Having regard to the refusal of the Court of Cassation to refer a question of constitutionality of the contested law on the basis that the Constitutional Court had already decided a similar matter, even though this judgment (i) was issued before the publication of the Court’s judgment in Agrati and Others v.   Italy , nos. 43549/08 and 2 others, 7 June 2011, and (ii) declared ill-founded the question of constitutionality and, therefore, did not preclude the referral of new questions of constitutionality on the same provision, especially when the development of the case-law of the Court provided for new arguments to consider a question of constitutionality not manifestly ill-founded, the Government are requested to clarify under which conditions the domestic legal system requests national judges to bring the interpretation of the Convention’s provisions offered by the development of the case-law of the Court to the attention of the Constitutional Court. APPENDIX   No. Application no. Case name Lodged on Applicant Year of Birth Place of Residence Nationality Represented by First instance judgment Second instance judgment First judgment of the Court of Cassation Referral to the Court of Appeal Final judgment of the Court of Cassation 1. 24735/16 Rullo v. Italy 26/04/2016 Cecilia RULLO 1955 Lanciano Italian Elisabetta MERLINO Judgment of Lanciano District Court of 16/03/2004 no 82 Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 06/06/2008 no 774 Judgment of 28/11/2011 no 25129   Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 24/07/2013 no 811 Judgment of 28/10/2015 no 22011   2. 24775/16 Annecchini v. Italy 26/04/2016 Giuseppe ANNECCHINI 1957 Lanciano Italian Elisabetta MERLINO Judgment of Lanciano District Court of 16/03/2004 no 81   Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 09/06/2008 no 459 Judgment of 28/11/2011 no 25114   Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila 25/07/2013 no 803 Judgment of 28/10/2015 no 22012   3. 25743/16 D’Antonio v. Italy 30/04/2016 Donato D’ANTONIO 1951 Lanciano Italian Elisabetta MERLINO Judgment of Lanciano District Court of 16/04/2004 no 108   Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 06/06/2008 no 784 Judgment of 28/11/2011 no 25112   Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 25/07/2013 no 814 Judgment of 04/11/2015 no 22517   4. 25750/16 Gargrella v. Italy 30/04/2016 Sergio GARGRELLA 1951 Lanciano Italian Elisabetta MERLINO Judgment of Lanciano District Court of 21/04/2004 no 123   Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 09/06/2008 no 488   Judgment of 28/11/2011 no 25121   Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 24/07/2013 no 805 Judgment of 04/11/2015 no 22514   5. 25753/16 Giacomucci v. Italy 30/04/2016 Maria Cristina GIACOMUCCI 1960 Vasto Italian Elisabetta MERLINO Judgment of Vasto District Court of 22/04/2005 no 74   Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 28/07/2008 no 499   Judgment of 28/11/2011 no 25108   Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 24/07/2013 no 806 Judgment of 04/11/2015 no 22515   6. 25956/16 Romano   v. Italy 03/05/2016 Franca ROMANO 1960 Cepagatti Italian Elisabetta MERLINO Judgment Of Chieti District Court of 07/07/2005 no 300   Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 04/08/2008 no 715 Judgment of 28/11/2011 no 25124   Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila 25/02/2013 no 78 Judgment of 05/11/2015 no 22610   7. 29770/16 Di Marzio   v. Italy 19/05/2016 Velia Cristina DI MARZIO 1947 Fossacesia Italian Elisabetta MERLINO Judgment of Lanciano District Court of 16/12/2005 no 525   Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 25/07/2008 no 876   Judgment of 28/11/2011 no 25133   Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 25/07/2013 no 813 Judgment of 21/10/2015 no 24932   8. 44720/18 Di Biase v. Italy 14/09/2018 Donato Ottavio DI BIASE 1938 Chieti Italian Elisabetta MERLINO Judgment of Lanciano District Court of 18/03/2005 no 44 Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 25/06/2008 no 690   Judgment of 28/11/2011 no 25125 Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 25/02/2013 no 81 Judgment of 15/03/2018 no 6430 9. 44724/18 D’Ippolito v. Italy 14/09/2018 Pina D’IPPOLITO 1961 Colle di Mezzo Italian Elisabetta MERLINO Judgment of Lanciano District Court of 29/10/2004 no 352 Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 12/05/2008 no 575   Judgment of 28/11/2011 no 25105 Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 23/02/2013 no 79 Judgment of 14/03/2018 no 6328 10. 44726/18 Bronzo   v. Italy 14/09/2018 Alessandro BRONZO 1961 Vasto Italian Elisabetta MERLINO Judgment of Vasto District Court of 02/07/2004 no 138 Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 09/06/2008 no 492   Judgment of 28/11/2011 no 25116 Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 28/01/2013 no 56   Order of 15/03/2018 no 6431 11. 45910/18 Nardone   v. Italy 26/09/2018 Rosanna NARDONE 1952 Lanciano Italian Elisabetta MERLINO Judgment of Lanciano District Court of 16/04/2004 no 109 Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’ Aquila 09/06/2008 no 468   Judgment of 28/11/2011 no 25115 Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 28/01/2013 no 54 Order of 05/04/2018 no 8413 12. 45913/18 Marchegiano v. Italy 14/09/2018 Biagio Donato MARCHEGIANO 1952 Lanciano Italian Elisabetta MERLINO Judgment of Lanciano District Court of 21/04/2004 no 119 Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 09/06/2008 no 487   Judgment of 28/11/2011 no 25123 Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 28/01/2013 no 57 Order of 28/03/2018 no 7566 13. 24043/19 D’Amico   v. Italy 24/04/2019 Gabriella D’AMICO 1945 Castel Frentano Italian Gabriele SALVATORE Judgment of Lanciano District Court of 09/08/2004 no 261 Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 30/05/2008 no 572   Judgment of 30/11/2011 no 25388 Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 18/12/2013 no 1416 Order of 02/11/2018 no 28033 14. 24793/19 Campanella v. Italy 02/05/2019 Elvira CAMPANELLA 1952 Francavilla al mare Italian Gabriele SALVATORE Judgment of Chieti District Court of 20/01/2005 no 28   Judgment Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 09/06/2008 no 668 Judgment of 30/11/2011 no 2538/7   Judgment Court of Appeal of L’Aquila 24/01/2014 no 59   Order of 08/11/2018 no 28603 15. 25208/19 Spaventa v. Italy 29/04/2019 Antonina SPAVENTA 1943 Atessa Italian Gabriele SALVATORE Judgment of Lanciano District Court of 09/08/2004 no 271 Judgment Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 11/06/2008 no 502 Judgment of 30/11/2011 no 25393   Judgment Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 16/12/2013 no 1429 Order of 05/11/2018 no 28161   16. 25216/19 Ricci v. Italy 29/04/2019 Maria Pia RICCI 1958 Ortona Italian Gabriele SALVATORE Judgment of Chieti District Court of 03/02/2005 no 36 Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 13/06/2008 no 638   Judgment of 30/11/2011 no 25408   Court of appeal of L’Aquila of 16/12/2013 no 1430 Order of 08/11/2018 no 28604   17. 27807/19 Scaglione   v. Italy 16/05/2019 Leda Maria Loredana SCAGLIONE 1949 Lanciano Italian Gabriele SALVATORE Judgment of Lanciano District Court of 13/12/2004 no 432 Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 16/07/2008 no 598 Judgment of 30/11/2011 no 25396 Court of appeal of L’Aquila of 05/12/2013 no 1423 Order of 22/11/2018 no 30266 18. 27988/19 D’Andrea v. Italy 16/05/2019 Nicola D’ANDREA 1954 Casoli Italian Gabriele SALVATORE Judgment of Lanciano District Court of 03/08/2005 no 298 Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila 25/07/2008 no 884 Judgment of 30/11/2011 no 25395 Court of appeal of L’Aquila of 16/12/2013 no 1426 Order of 20/11/2018 no 29937 19. 27990/19 Manzi v. Italy 16/05/2019 Enio MANZI 1948 Pollutri Italian Gabriele SALVATORE Judgment of Vasto District Court of 12/11/2004 no 244 Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 12/05/2008 no 577 Judgment of 30/11/2011 no 25390 Court of appeal of L’Aquila of 09/12/2013 no 1414 Order of 20/11/2018 no 29938 20. 30650/19 Toniolo and Others v. Italy 29/05/2019 Matteo TONIOLO 1982 Padoue Italian Maria Cristina ENRICIO 1966 Padoue Italian Carlo DERNI 1944 Ospedaletto Euganeo Italian Paolo FINESSO 1957 Padoue Italian Anna Maria CIATTO 1953 Padoue Italian Raffaella PASSUDETTI 1968 Vigonza Italian Gianni SBRIZZA 1967 Camposampiero Italian Rosanna CRIVELLARO 1948 Padoue Italian Marco TONIOLO 1974 Padoue Italian Renato ZORZETTO 1965 Campo San Martino Italian Angela CARPESIO 1968 Saccolongo Italian Giulio GALLANI 1954 Padoue Italian Giorgio AGNOLIN 1956 Montegrotto Terme Italian Sandro BENATO 1959 Vigonza Italian Francesco MENEGHINI 1956 VO Italian Giampaolo TOMANIN 1957 Lendinara Italian Enrico CONTIN 1959 Padoue Italian Renato BON 1945 Padoue Italian Renato CAMPAGNOLO 1951 Camignano di Brenta Italian Orfeo SARTORE 1954 Cittadella Italian Maria FERRONATO 1955 Tombolo Italian Nicola ZAMPIERI Judgment of Padova District Court of 14/12/2005 no 549/2004 Judgment of Appeal of Venice 04/12/2018 no 275 Judgment of 12/10/2012 no 17251   Court of appeal of Bologna of 16/09/2014 no 10087 Order of 29/11/2018 no 30916 21. 42368/19 Garato and Others v. Italy 26/07/2019 Emanuela GARATO 1959 ROVIGO Italian Patrizia CECCHETTO 1960 Villadose Italian Carlo Alberto MERLO 1954 Lendinara Italian Giovanni ROMANO Judgment of Rovigo District Court of:   03/03/2006 no 21   03/06/2005 no 226   03/06/2005 no 224 Judgment of Court of Appeal of Venise of:   19/12/2008 no 277   02/01/2009 no 235/2008   20/01/2009 no 263/2008   Judgment of 27/02/2013 no 4879   25/02/2013 no 4665   22/02/2013 no 4555   Judgment of Court of Appeal of Brescia of 21/01/2014 no 11 Order of 18/03/2019 no 7610 22. 42374/19 Volpe and Tumiatti   v. Italy 26/07/2019 Fabio VOLPE 1946 S. Martino di Venezze Italian Carla TUMIATTI 1958 Adria Italian Giovanni ROMANO Judgment of Rovigo District Court of 04/10/2005 nos 553- 551 Judgment of Court of Appeal of Venice of 22/02/2008 no 739/2007   Judgment of 19/10/2012 no 1805 Judgment of Court of Appeal of Bologna of 28/08/2014 no 1067 Order of 28/02/2019 no 5999 23. 42376/19 Brusco v. Italy 26/07/2019 Lores BRUSCO 1954 ROVIGO Italian Giovanni ROMANO Judgment of Rovigo District Court of 05/08/2005 no 400 Judgment of Court of Appeal of Venise of 11/12/2008 no 264 Judgment of 15/01/2013 no 804 Judgment of Court of Appeal of Trieste of 25/02/2014 no 558/2013 Order of 08/03/2019 no 6879 24. 42489/19 Benini and Others   v. Italy 26/07/2019 Livio BENINI 1953 Villamarzana Italian Sabrina ANDRIOLI 1971 Rovigo Italian Aida LAVEZZO 1947 Rovigo Italian Giuseppe TAGLIARI 1958 Costa di Rovigo Italian Gianpaolo TOSI 1964 Bergantino Italian Giovanni ROMANO Judgment of Rovigo District Court of 30/01/2006 nos: 787/2005 788/2005 790/2005 791/2005 792/2005 793/2005     Judgment Court of Appeal of Venise of 11/03/2008 no 772/2007   Judgment of 18/10/2012 no 17877   Judgment of Court of Appeal of Bologna of 28/08/2014 no 1077 Order of 28/02/2019 no 6000   25. 43667/19 Calore v. Italy 07/08/2019 Lello CALORE 1944 Pescara Italian Isacco SULLAM Judgment of Pescara District Court of 19/05/2005 no 1044   Judgment of Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 28/04/2008 no 517 Judgment of 28/11/2011 no 25144   Judgment Court of Appeal of L’Aquila of 26/07/2013 no 868 Judgment of 20/02/2019 no 4957   26. 43703/19 Briatore and Others   v. Italy 07/08/2019 Piero BRIATORE 1950 Savona Italian   Rodolfo BARBIERO 1949 Savona Italian Carlo BERTANI 1951 Saliceto Italian Claudio AONZO 1942 Savona Italian Adolfo BARABINO 1946 Savona Italian Luisa BARGNOLO 1960 Savona Italian Maurizio AGAMENNONE 1954 Savona Italian Isacco SULLAM Judgment of Savona District Court of 28/02/2003 no 537/2002   Judgment of Court of Appeal of Genova of 15/01/2007 no 1342 Judgment 20/11/2012 no 20328 Judgment of Court of Appeal of Genova of 15/05/2013 no 199 Order 14/02/2019 no 4439 27. 43936/19 Sontuoso and Others v. Italy 26/07/2019 Alessandro SONTUOSO 1963 Rovigo Italian Riccardo FIORATTO 1965 Polesella Italian Adamo VERNIZZI 1948 Castel Guglielmo Italian Giovanni ROMANO Judgment of Rovigo District Court of 03/06/2005 nos 232 – 231 – 229   Judgment of Court of Appeal of Venice of 27/11/2017 no 599 Judgment of 22/10/2012 no 18116   Judgment of Court of Appeal of Bologna 28/08/2014 no 1069   Order of 12/02/2019 no 4087   28. 47248/19 Biancardi   v. Italy 02/09/2019 Roberto BIANCARDI 1946 Baone Italian Serena BIANCARDI Judgment Padova District Court of 12/09/2006 no 1078/2005   Judgment of Court of Appeal of Venise of 24/12/2008 no 279 Judgment of 01/03/2013 no 5155   Judgment of Court of Appeal of Brescia 25/03/2015 no 138/2014 Order of 20/03/2019 no 7859   29. 23252/21 Cattozzo   v. Italy 23/04/2021 Liliana CATTOZZO 1950 Canda Italian Nicola ZAMPIERI Judgment Rovigo District Court of 03/05/2005 no 289   Judgment of Court of Appeal of Venice of 10/12/2007 no 598 Judgment of 13/07/2012 no 12026   Judgment of Court of Appeal of Bologna of 19/02/2015 no 87   Order of 23/10/2020 no 23382   30 52069/21 Malin v. Italy 30/09/2021 Maria Luisa MALIN 1951 Lusia (RO) Italian Nicola ZAMPIERI Judgment Rovigo District Court of 11/11/2005 no 661   Judgment of Court of Appeal of Venice of 20/03/2008 no 773   Judgment of 13/07/2013 no 12030   Judgment of Court of Appeal of Bologna 20/11/2014 no 1533   Order of 31/03/2021 no 8968