CEDH · PRESS;HEARINGS;ENG — 27 mars 2003

.s800EAC49 { font-size:12pt } .s5FFF0A77 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:1pt } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial } .sFE10DC93 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center } .s29100277 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .s94935B0F { width:389.85pt; display:inline-block } .s4DDA3AA3 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; font-style:italic } .sCB9E0544 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:left } .s61E420C2 { font-family:Arial; font-variant:small-caps } .s69BE285C { margin-top:0pt; margin-left:85.05pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-indent:-85.05pt } .s18D96D33 { width:15.69pt; text-indent:0pt; display:inline-block } .sE926D4E4 { width:22.95pt; text-indent:0pt; display:inline-block } .sBF0FE613 { width:36pt; text-indent:0pt; display:inline-block } .s4BAE41EE { font-family:Arial; font-size:11pt } .sA101A847 { font-family:Arial; font-size:11pt; font-weight:bold } .s595A57E4 { width:85.05pt; text-indent:0pt; display:inline-block } .s7AF76660 { font-family:Arial; font-size:7.33pt; vertical-align:super } .s5DF77665 { width:22.65pt; text-indent:0pt; display:inline-block } .sB22E7C7 { width:35.29pt; text-indent:0pt; display:inline-block } .sC800182F { font-family:Arial; color:#0000ff } .s3964C3A3 { width:1.36pt; display:inline-block } .s901C2590 { width:56.7pt; display:inline-block } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic }   EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS     161   27.3.2003   Press release issued by the Registrar   CHAMBER HEARING ON THE ADMISSIBILITY AND MERITS IN THE CASE OF PAULINO TOMÁS AND GOUVEIA DA SILVA TORRADO v. PORTUGAL   Thursday 27 March 2003 at 9.30 a.m.   These applications (nos. 58698/00 and 65305/01) concern the length of two sets of civil proceedings in Portugal, one of which has ended and the other being still pending. The main point at issue is whether an action against the State in tort is an effective remedy by which to complain of the length of proceedings.   Summary of the facts   Paulino Tomás Ana Maria Paulino Tomás is a Portuguese national, born in 1970 and living in Caldas da Rainha. After being injured in a road accident, the applicant sued for damages in the Caldas da Rainha Court of First Instance on 17 May 1993. The court upheld her claim in part on 4   January 2000.   Gouveia da Silva Torrado Maria da Lourdes Gouveia da Silva Torrado is a Portuguese national, born in 1923 and living in Cascais. On 28 November 1997 she brought enforcement proceedings in the Cascais Court of First Instance against an individual who, under the terms of a friendly settlement in other proceedings, owed her the outstanding sum of 302,400 escudos (or just over 1,500 euros). The proceedings are still pending in the Cascais Court of First Instance.   Complaint   Relying on Article 6 § 1 (right to a fair trial within a reasonable time) of the European Convention on Human Rights, the applicants complain of the length of the proceedings to which they were or are parties.   Procedure   The applications were lodged with the European Court of Human Rights on 29 June 2000 and 22 January 2001 respectively.                 Composition of the Court   The case will be heard by a Chamber composed as follows:   Georg Ress (German), President , Lucius Caflisch (Swiss), Riza Türmen (Turkish), Boštjan Zupančič (Slovenian), Hanne Sophie Greve (Norwegian), Kristaq Traja (Albanian), judges , Victor Manuel Goncalves Gomes (Portuguese) , ad hoc judge , Pranas Kūris (Lithuanian) , John Hedigan (Irish) , substitute judges , and also Vincent Berger , Section Registrar .   Representatives of the parties   Government:       João Manuel Silva Miguel , Agent ,       Maria Manuela Flores Ferreira , Adviser ;   Applicants: Paulino Tomás       Ana Paula de Carvalho , Counsel ;   Gouveia da Silva Torrado   Joaquim Pires de Lima , Counsel .   ***   After the hearing the Court will begin its deliberations, which are held in private. A decision on admissibility - and, if appropriate, a judgment - will be delivered at a later date.   Registry of the European Court of Human Rights F – 67075 Strasbourg Cedex Contacts:   Roderick Liddell (telephone: +00 33 (0)3 88 41 24 92)   Joanna Reynell (telephone: +00 33 (0)3 90 21 42 15)   Stéphanie Klein (telephone: +00 33 (0)3 88 41 21 54) Fax: +00 33 (0)3 88 41 27 91   The European Court of Human Rights was set up in Strasbourg in 1959 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 Commission and Court.