CEDH · CASELAW;CLIN;ENG — 23 mars 1994

.s3ABFC313 { font-size:10pt } .sD4B5322E { margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:12pt; text-align:justify } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial } .sA241FE93 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:18pt; text-align:justify; page-break-after:avoid; border-bottom:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-bottom:1pt } .s2EF62ED2 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:12pt } .s4DDA3AA3 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; font-style:italic } .s29100277 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .s8F2B0B1B { margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:12pt; page-break-after:avoid; font-size:12pt } .s9FF10068 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:12pt } .sEB86A30B { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:14pt; page-break-after:avoid } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } .s5F48796F { margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:justify } .s85F2E5C5 { width:30.44pt; display:inline-block } .s6863D229 { width:26pt; display:inline-block } .s90A93616 { width:27.66pt; display:inline-block } .s1B561845 { width:23.78pt; display:inline-block } .s3225EC85 { width:33.12pt; display:inline-block } .sBDAE81C4 { width:27.67pt; display:inline-block } .s8B6C6D43 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; border-bottom:1pt solid #000000; padding-bottom:1pt } .sDF790F1E { margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center } .s7ED160F0 { text-decoration:none } .s3DC36BA9 { font-family:Arial; text-decoration:underline; color:#0069d6 } Information Note on the Court’s case-law No. March 1994 Silva Pontes v. Portugal - 14940/89 Judgment 23.3.1994 Article 6 Article 6-1 Reasonable time Length of civil proceedings for damages: violation [This summary is extracted from the Court’s official reports (Series A or Reports of Judgments and Decisions). Its formatting and structure may therefore differ from the Case-Law Information Note summaries.] I.   ARTICLE 6 § 1 OF THE CONVENTION A.   Government's preliminary objection (belatedness of the application) Enforcement proceedings were to be regarded as second stage of the declaratory proceedings - out-of-court settlement which concluded the former denoted final domestic decision. Conclusion : objection dismissed (unanimously). B.   Merits of the complaint 1.   Applicability Applicability of Article 6 § 1 to first stage of the proceedings not disputed; also applied to second stage. Conclusion : applicable (unanimously). 2.   Compliance with Article 6 § 1 (a)   Period to be taken into consideration Starting-point: date of entry into force of Convention with regard to Portugal. End: date of conclusion of out-of-court settlement. Total: eleven years and one month. (b)   Reasonableness of the length of the proceedings Declaratory proceedings: no reason to depart from considerations set forth in Martins Moreira judgment. Enforcement proceedings: unnecessary to examine them in detail. Conclusion : violation (eight votes to one).   - iv - II.   ARTICLE 50 OF THE CONVENTION A.   Damage Fact that applicant accepted out-of-court settlement not decisive as it concerned consequences of road accident and not those of failure to comply with reasonable time requirement - regard being had to Court's approach in Martins Moreira and to various relevant factors, amount awarded for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage. B.   Costs and expenses Costs incurred in national courts and before Convention institutions: reimbursed in light of assessment on equitable basis. Conclusion : respondent State to pay specified sums to the applicant (eight votes to one).   © Council of Europe/European Court of Human Rights This summary by the Registry does not bind the Court. Click here for the Case-Law Information Notes