CEDH · CASELAW;CLIN;ENG — 21 avril 1998

.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 } .sEB86A30B { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:14pt; page-break-after:avoid } .s9FF10068 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:12pt } .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 } .sBDAE81C4 { width:27.67pt; display:inline-block } .s49A78FE0 { width:26.55pt; 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. April 1998 Estima Jorge v. Portugal - 24550/94 Judgment 21.4.1998 Article 6 Civil proceedings Article 6-1 Reasonable time Length of enforcement proceedings: 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.   Applicability of Article 6 § 1 Recapitulation of Court’s case-law. Proceedings in issue did not concern a judgment, but a notarial deed providing security for a specific debt – irrespective of whether authority to execute took the form of a judgment or a notarial deed, Portuguese law provided that it was to be enforced through courts, procedure to be followed being same in each case – that procedure had been decisive for effective exercise of applicant’s right. Conclusion : applicability (unanimously). B.   Compliance with Article 6 § 1 1.   Period to be taken into consideration Starting-point: institution of proceedings in Lisbon Court of First Instance. End: payment of an amount to applicant. Total: thirteen years. 2.   Reasonableness of length of proceedings Competent authorities had been responsible for number of delays – above all, in light of circumstances of case, to be assessed as a whole, Court considered that period of thirteen years to obtain final decision on basis of an authority to execute could not be said to have been reasonable. Conclusion : violation (unanimously). II.   ARTICLE 50 OF THE CONVENTION A.   Damage Pecuniary damage: sum awarded on an equitable basis (seven votes to two). Non-pecuniary damage: award of amount claimed (unanimously). B.   Costs and expenses: reimbursement on an equitable basis. Conclusion : respondent State to pay applicant specified sums.   © 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