CEDH · CASELAW;COMMUNICATEDCASES;ENG — 24 juin 2024

.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 } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .sA1D3DA2E { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:justify } .s4ACA9207 { page-break-before:always; clear:both; mso-break-type:section-break } .s6DB91820 { text-align:center } .s88830249 { width:100%; margin-right:auto; margin-left:auto; border-collapse:collapse } .s2585BA4D { width:4.8%; border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top; background-color:#dfdfdf } .s2E932ED2 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:11pt } .sEECE831 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#474747 } .sF0251027 { width:14.36%; border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top; background-color:#dfdfdf } .sBA115783 { width:23.36%; border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top; background-color:#dfdfdf } .s859E3002 { width:10.6%; border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top; background-color:#dfdfdf } .s598389F8 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center; font-size:11pt } .sBA9AD033 { width:22.74%; border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top; background-color:#dfdfdf } .sE6B15E7F { width:24.16%; border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top; background-color:#dfdfdf } .sCC8B03FD { width:4.8%; border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top } .s99408E41 { width:14.36%; border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top } .sEBBB71DB { width:23.36%; border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top } .s858B1BD7 { width:10.6%; border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top } .s6A004302 { width:22.74%; border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top } .s50176368 { width:24.16%; border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top } .s906CA806 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; page-break-inside:avoid; page-break-after:avoid; font-size:11pt } .sF2EF8B01 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center; page-break-inside:avoid; page-break-after:avoid; font-size:11pt } Published on 15 July 2024   FOURTH SECTION Application no. 23420/22 Rajko GRBIĆ against Serbia and 6 other applications (see list appended) communicated on 24 June 2024 SUBJECT MATTER OF THE CASE The applications concern the allegedly divergent case-law of various Serbian courts regarding the award of costs and expenses in proceedings under the Protection of the Right to a Trial Within a Reasonable Time Act ( Zakon o zaštiti prava na suđenje u razumnom roku ). In particular, the applicants allege that various courts in Serbia have ruled inconsistently by simultaneously rejecting their own claims and accepting other plaintiffs’ claims for costs and expenses in situations where they were all successful on the merits. The applicants’ further constitutional appeals were also dismissed by the Constitutional Court. Referring to Article 6 of the Convention, the applicants essentially complain that the rejection of their claims for costs and expenses, as well as the “flagrantly divergent case-law of the domestic courts” on this issue, created legal uncertainty and amounted to a denial of justice.   QUESTIONS TO THE PARTIES 1.     Was Article   6 §   1 of the Convention under its civil head applicable to the length-related proceedings in the present case (i.e. the proceedings under the Protection of the Right to a Trial Within a Reasonable Time Act)? In particular, did the proceedings in question concern the “determination of civil rights and obligations” within the meaning of that provision ( see Omdahl v.   Norway , no. 46371/18, § 47, 22 April 2021; Alaverdyan v. Armenia (dec.), no. 45523/04, § 35, 24 August 2010; and, mutatis mutandis , Pelli v. Italy (dec.), no. 19537/02 , 13 November 2003)?   2.     If so, 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, in the light of the applicants’ allegation that the Serbian courts have applied flagrantly different case-law to identical situations, has the principle of legal certainty contained in this provision been complied with by the domestic judiciary (see, mutatis mutandis ,   Živić v.   Serbia , no. 37204/08, § 47, 13 September 2011; Stoilkovska v. the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia , no. 29784/07, § 47, 18 July 2013; and Lupeni Greek Catholic Parish and Others v. Romania [GC], no. 76943/11, §   116, 29 November 2016, with further references)? APPENDIX No. Application no. Case name Lodged on Applicant Year of Birth Place of Residence Nationality Represented by 1. 23420/22 Grbić v. Serbia 29/04/2022 Rajko GRBIĆ 1962 Bečej Serbian Nikola KOSANOVIĆ 2. 57957/22 Vujičić and Others v. Serbia 08/12/2022 Jasmina VUJIČIĆ 1966 Topola Serbian Ljiljana BOGIĆEVIĆ 1957 Topola Serbian Olga GLIŠIĆ 1969 Topola Serbian Vesna TOMIĆ ŽIVANOVIĆ 3. 239/23 Sremčević v. Serbia 08/12/2022 Fatima SREMČEVIĆ 1964 Žabare, Topola Serbian Vesna TOMIĆ ŽIVANOVIĆ 4. 243/23 Nešović v. Serbia 08/12/2022 Gordana NEŠOVIĆ 1960 Topola Serbian Vesna TOMIĆ ŽIVANOVIĆ 5. 247/23 Jordanov v. Serbia 08/12/2022 Danka JORDANOV 1967 Topola Serbian Vesna TOMIĆ ŽIVANOVIĆ 6. 919/23 Jović v. Serbia 21/12/2022 Miodrag JOVIĆ 1965 Trbušnica, Loznica Serbian Predrag FILIPOVIĆ 7. 10905/23 Mijailović v. Serbia 28/02/2023 Vladeta MIJAILOVIĆ 1961 Jadranska Lešnica, Loznica Serbian Stanoje FILIPOVIĆ