CEDH · PRESS;GENERAL;ENG — 30 mars 2004

.s800EAC49 { font-size:12pt } .sFE10DC93 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center } .s29100277 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold } .s40F41F73 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:right } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .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 } .s7DE96CBD { width:84.13pt; display:inline-block } .s76CF415B { page-break-before:always; clear:both } .sD472578 { width:317.57pt; display:inline-block } .s5F631BDC { width:160.15pt; display:inline-block } .sADADF4A7 { font-family:Arial; text-decoration:underline } .sCB9E0544 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:left } .s9F8EB0C0 { width:18.63pt; display:inline-block } .s9E97F54A { width:85.05pt; display:inline-block } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } .sF6A12959 { width:33%; height:1px; text-align:left } .s2EB42ED2 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:10pt } .s653E6C45 { font-family:Arial; font-size:6.67pt; vertical-align:super; color:#0069d6 } EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS   158 30.3.2004   Press release issued by the Registrar   Chamber judgments concerning Hungary and the Ukraine   The European Court of Human Rights has today notified in writing the following two Chamber judgments, neither of which is final. [1] (Both judgments are only available in English.)     Tóth v. Hungary (application no. 60297/00)   Violation of Article 6 § 1 The applicant, László Tóth, is an Hungarian national, born in 1951 and living in Budapest.   Following the termination of his employment in October 1997, the applicant brought two sets of proceedings against his employer, concerning the payment of additional wages and other benefits and for constructive dismissal and severance pay. The proceedings have so far lasted eight years and over nine months and six years and four months respectively and are both still pending.   He relied on the following articles of the European Convention on Human Rights; 1 (obligation to respect human rights), 4 (prohibition of forced labour), 5 (right to liberty and security), 6 (right to a fair hearing within a reasonable time), 13 (right to an effective remedy) and 14 (prohibition of discrimination).   The European Court of Human Rights held unanimously that there had been a violation of Article 6 § 1, concerning the first set of proceedings and, by six votes to one, concerning the second. The Court also found that the applicant’s other complaints were not admissible.   The Court awarded the applicant, by six votes to one, 7,500   euros   (EUR) for non-pecuniary damage and EUR   500 for costs and expenses.   Violation of Article 6 § 1 Merit v. Ukraine (no. 66561/01)   Violation of Article 13 The applicant, Sam Merit, is an Israeli national, born in 1939 and living in Israel. He owns 99 per cent of the shares in Jason Development Enterprises Ltd which is registered in the Ukraine.   In 1997, a criminal investigation was opened against him on charges of smuggling and fraud. The applicant complained under Article 6 § 1 (right to a fair trial within a reasonable length of time) concerning the length of criminal proceedings lodged against him, which have lasted more than six years are still pending. He also relied on Article 13 (right to an effective remedy).   The Court held unanimously that there had been a violation of Article 6 § 1 and Article 13 and awarded the applicant EUR 2,500 for non-pecuniary damage and EUR 1,500 for costs and expenses.     ***   These summaries by the Registry do not bind the Court. The full texts of the Court’s judgments are accessible on its Internet site ( http://www.echr.coe.int ).   Registry of the European Court of Human Rights F – 67075 Strasbourg Cedex Press contacts:   Roderick Liddell (telephone: +00 33 (0)3 88 41 24 92)   Emma Hellyer (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 by the Council of Europe Member States in 1959 to deal with alleged violations of the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights. Since 1 November 1998 it has sat as a full-time Court composed of an equal number of judges to that of the States party to the Convention. The Court examines the admissibility and merits of applications submitted to it. It sits in Chambers of 7 judges or, in exceptional cases, as a Grand Chamber of 17 judges. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe supervises the execution of the Court’s judgments. [1] Under Article 43 of the European Convention on Human Rights, within three months from the date of a 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. In that event, a panel of five judges considers whether the case raises a serious question affecting the interpretation or application of the Convention or its protocols, or a serious issue of general importance, in which case the Grand Chamber will deliver a final judgment. If no such question or issue arises, the panel will reject the request, at which point the judgment becomes final. Otherwise Chamber judgments become final on the expiry of the three-month period or earlier if the parties declare that they do not intend to make a request to refer.