CEDH · CASELAW;CLIN;ENG — 4 décembre 1995

.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 } .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. December 1995 Bellet v. France - 23805/94 Judgment 4.12.1995 Article 6 Civil proceedings Article 6-1 Access to court Access to a court to obtain additional compensation for damage sustained by a haemophiliac infected with the AIDS virus following blood transfusions: 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 "Right to a court" secured by Article 6 – subject to limitations which may not, however, impair its very essence. Without a doubt, it had been possible to bring legal proceedings, as the applicant had sued the National Blood Transfusion Foundation in the Paris tribunal de grande instance for damages – but after acceptance of Compensation Fund's offer, the applicant's action had been held to be inadmissible. It was not for the Court to assess as such France's system for compensating haemophiliacs and transfusion patients infected with AIDS, a system which displayed a remarkable spirit of solidarity. In the light of the Act of 31   December 1991 and of the legislative history, the applicant could reasonably have believed that he had been entitled to begin or continue actions in parallel with his application to the Compensation Fund, even after accepting the Fund's offer – system not sufficiently clear or sufficiently attended by safeguards to prevent a misunderstanding as to the procedures for making use of the available remedies and the restrictions stemming from the simultaneous use of them – hence no practical, effective right of access to the courts in the proceedings before the Paris Court of Appeal. Conclusion : violation (eight votes to one). II.   ARTICLE 50 OF THE CONVENTION A.   Pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage: applicant had sustained a loss of opportunities together with non-pecuniary damage – compensation awarded. B.   Costs and expenses: reimbursement on an equitable basis. Conclusion : respondent State to pay specified sums to applicant (unanimously).   © 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