CEDH · PRESS;GENERAL;ENG — 7 juillet 1999

.s3ABFC313 { font-size:10pt } .s598389F9 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center; font-size:12pt } .s29100277 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold } .s85646119 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:justify; font-size:12pt } .s23A41E03 { width:36pt; display:inline-block } .s16C75182 { margin-top:0pt; margin-left:324pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-indent:36pt; text-align:justify; font-size:12pt } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial } .s7ED160F0 { text-decoration:none } .s33165EBA { font-family:Arial; font-size:8pt; vertical-align:super; color:#0069d6 } .s4DDA3AA3 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; font-style:italic } .s76CF415B { page-break-before:always; clear:both } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .s2EF62ED2 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:12pt } .s4B8D41EE { font-family:Arial; font-size:10pt } .sEDC5336B { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; page-break-inside:avoid; page-break-after:avoid; font-size:12pt } .sCB27B9E { width:16.66pt; display:inline-block } .s9378202A { width:33.05pt; display:inline-block } .s6442AFE5 { width:23.04pt; display:inline-block } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } .sF6A12959 { width:33%; height:1px; text-align:left } .sA1D3DA2E { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:justify } .s653E6C45 { font-family:Arial; font-size:6.67pt; vertical-align:super; color:#0069d6 } EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS                         389 7.7.1999     Press release issued by the Registrar     JUDGMENT IN THE CASE OF MATTER v. SLOVAK REPUBLIC       The European Court of Human Rights (Second Section) has delivered judgment [1] (application no.   31534/96) in the case of Matter v. the Slovak Republic (application no.   31534/96), concerning the length of civil proceedings.     The Court held unanimously that there had been a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights Article 6 § 1 (right to a fair trial within a reasonable time) in the case of Wilibald Rudolf Matter, a Slovak national born in 1925 and resident in Čadca (Slovak Republic). The relevant [2] proceedings, concerning the decision to deprive Mr Matter of his legal capacity for mental health reasons, have lasted more than seven years and have not yet been completed.     The Court also held unanimously that there had been no violation of Article 8 (right to respect for private life) of the Convention. It did not award just satisfaction.     Judgment was given by a chamber of seven judges, composed as follows:   Christos Rozakis (Greek), President , Marc Fischbach (Luxemburger), Benedetto Conforti (Italian), Giovanni Bonello (Maltese), Viera Strážnická (Slovakian), András Baka (Hungarian), Egils Levits (Latvian), Judges,   and also Erik Fribergh , Section Registrar .       The full text of the judgment can be found on the Court’s Internet site: http://www.dhcour.coe.fr.   It is available only in English.     ***   Registry of the European Court of Human Rights F – 67075 Strasbourg Cedex Contacts:   Roderick Liddell (telephone: (0)3 88 41 24 92) Or:   Emma Hellyer (telephone: (0)3 90 21 42 15) Fax:   (0)3 88 41 27 91     The European Court of Human Rights was set up in 1959 in Strasbourg to deal with alleged violations of the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights.   On 1 November 1998 a full-time Court was established, replacing the original two-tier system of a part-time Court and Commission.   [1] The judgment was notified in writing on 5 July 1999. It becomes final subject to Articles 43 and 44 of the Convention:   Under Article 43 , within three months from the date of the Chamber judgment, any party to the case may, in exceptional cases, request that the case be referred to the 17-member Grand Chamber of the Court.   A panel of five judges accepts the request if the case raises a serious question affecting the interpretation or application of the Convention or its Protocols, or a serious issue of general importance.   Under Article 44 , the Chamber judgment becomes final (a) when the parties declare that they will not request that the case be referred to the Grand Chamber; or (b) three months after the date of the judgment, if reference of the case to the Grand Chamber has not been requested; or (c) when the panel of the Grand Chamber rejects the request to refer under Article 43.     [2] The proceedings were started on 18 February 1987. However, only proceedings which took place after the Slovak Republic ratified the European Convention on Human Rights (on 18 March 1992) can be taken into account by the Court.