PROCEDURE

The case was referred to the Court, as established under former Article 19 of the Convention, by the Polish Government (“the Government”) on 17 August 1998 and by a Polish national, Mr Zbigniew Musiał (“the applicant”), on 7 August 1998, within the three-month period laid down by former Articles 32 § 1 and 47 of the Convention. It originated in an application (no. 24557/94) against the Republic of Poland lodged by Mr Musiał with the European Commission of Human Rights (“the Commission”) under former Article 25 on 10 January 1994. The Government’s application referred to former Articles 44 and 48, and that of the applicant to former Article 48, as amended by Protocol No. 91, which Poland had ratified. The object of the applications was to obtain a decision as to whether the facts of the case disclosed a breach by the respondent State of its obligations under Article 5 § 4 of the Convention.

On 7 October 1998 Mr R. Bernhardt, the President of the Court at the time, declined the applicant’s request for leave to present his own case before the Court. The applicant designated the lawyer who would represent him (Rule 31 of former Rules of Court B2). The lawyer was given leave by the President to use the Polish language (former Rule 28 § 3).

As President of the Chamber which had originally been constituted (former Article 43 of the Convention and former Rule 21) in order to deal, in particular, with procedural matters that might arise before the entry into force of Protocol No. 11, Mr Bernhardt, acting through the Registrar, consulted the Agent of the Government, the applicant’s lawyer and the Delegate of the Commission on the organisation of the written procedure. Pursuant to the order made in consequence, the Registrar received the Government’s and the applicant’s memorials on 30 November 1998. On 8 December 1998 the Secretary to the Commission sent the Delegate’s observations to the Registry.

After the entry into force of Protocol No. 11 on 1 November 1998 and in accordance with the provisions of Article 5 § 5 thereof, the case was referred to the Grand Chamber of the Court. The Grand Chamber included ex officio Mr J. Makarczyk, the judge elected in respect of Poland (Article 27 § 2 of the Convention and Rule 24 § 4 of the Rules of the Court), Mr L. Wildhaber, the President of the Court, Mrs E. Palm and Mr C.L. Rozakis, the Vice-Presidents of the Court, and Sir Nicolas Bratza and Mr M. Pellonpää, Presidents of Sections (Article 27 § 3 of the Convention and Rule 24 § 3). The other members appointed to complete the Grand Chamber were Mr B. Conforti, Mr A. Pastor Ridruejo, Mr G. Bonello, Mr P. Kūris, Mrs F. Tulkens, Mrs V. Strážnická, Mr V. Butkevych, Mr J. Casadevall, Mrs H.S. Greve, Mr R. Maruste and Mrs S. Botoucharova (Rule 24 § 3 and Rule 100 § 4). Subsequently Mr M. Fischbach replaced Mr Rozakis, who was unable to take part in the further consideration of the case (Rule 24 § 5 (a)).

At the Court’s invitation (Rule 99), the Commission delegated one of its members, Mr M.A. Nowicki, to take part in the proceedings before the Grand Chamber.

In accordance with the President’s decision, a hearing took place in public in the Human Rights Building, Strasbourg, on 16 December 1998. There appeared before the Court:

(a) for the Government

Mr K. Drzewicki, Professor of Public International Law, Agent, Mrs M. Wąsek-Wiaderek, Mrs E. Chałubińska, Mr K. Karpiński, Advisers;

(b) for the applicant

Mr H. Stabla, of the Katowice Bar, Counsel;

(c) for the Commission

Mr M.A. Nowicki Delegate. The Court heard addresses by Mr Nowicki, Mr Stabla, Mr Drzewicki and Mrs Wąsek-Wiaderek, and also their replies to its questions.

THE FACTS

I. the circumstances of the case

The applicant was born in 1953. He lives in Stalowa Wola, Poland.

In 1986 the Katowice regional prosecutor instituted criminal proceedings against the applicant on suspicion of manslaughter of his wife. On 18 October 1987 the applicant was examined by a medical panel composed of two psychiatrists, who found that, on health grounds, he could not be held criminally responsible. The panel further concluded that the applicant posed a threat to public order. On 31 October 1987 the Jastrzębie-Zdrój district prosecutor, having regard to the medical opinion, decided to discontinue the criminal proceedings against the applicant. On 30 November 1987 the Jastrzębie-Zdrój district prosecutor requested the Katowice Regional Court to order the applicant’s committal to a psychiatric institution.

On 8 February 1988 the Katowice Regional Court committed the applicant to a mental hospital. The court, taking into consideration the submission of the prosecutor that the applicant had killed his wife and the expert medical opinion of 18 October 1987, concluded that the applicant posed a threat to public order. On 18 March 1988 the Supreme Court upheld this decision. On 13 April 1988 the applicant was placed in Rybnik Psychiatric Hospital.

On 4 November 1988, 15 September 1989, 13 November 1989, 12 March 1990, 9 July 1990 and 17 December 1990 the Katowice Regional Court gave decisions concerning the applicant’s continued detention. The court had regard to the applicant’s medical file, including opinions of psychiatrists from Rybnik Psychiatric Hospital, which indicated that in view of the applicant’s condition, which remained unchanged, his continued detention was necessary as he still presented a threat to public order.

On 4 April 1991 the applicant’s officially appointed lawyer requested the latter’s release from the psychiatric hospital. On 27 May 1991 the Katowice Regional Court again refused to order the applicant’s release, finding that it would entail a threat to public order.

In a further medical opinion of 27 December 1991 the Rybnik Hospital psychiatrists stated that the applicant’s condition required his continued detention and in its subsequent decision the Katowice Regional Court again refused to order his release.

On 10 January 1992 the Minister of Justice refused leave for an extraordinary appeal against the decision of 8 February 1988 concerning the applicant’s committal to a psychiatric institution.

On 22 June 1992 the court, having considered the opinion of psychiatrists, again refused to order the applicant’s release.

On 16 March 1993 the applicant’s lawyer lodged a further request for the applicant’s release with the Katowice Regional Court. He also insisted that psychiatrists from Cracow University examine the applicant as he was convinced that it was only from this institution that an unbiased opinion could be obtained. By letters of 25 March 1993 and 13 April 1993, the court ordered Rybnik Psychiatric Hospital to submit an up-to-date medical opinion on the applicant’s condition.

In their opinion of 19 April 1993, the Rybnik Hospital psychiatrists stated that the applicant’s condition required his continued detention and suggested that in view of his repeated requests for a medical examination by psychiatrists from another institution it would be advisable to order such an examination. By a decision of 26 April 1993, the court ordered that the applicant’s condition should be assessed by psychiatrists from Cracow University.

On 5 May 1993 the court found that the applicant could undergo the necessary medical examination in the Psychiatric Department of Cracow Detention Centre. On 17 May 1993 it fixed the date of the applicant’s admission to the Centre at 31 May 1993. The applicant was brought to the Centre on that date, but was not admitted since certain necessary documents had not been submitted to the Centre. The Centre informed the court that the applicant could only be admitted on the strength of an order for his detention on remand and that persons detained at the Centre were subject to the legal provisions governing detention on remand.

In a letter of 31 May 1993, the applicant complained to the court that he had not been examined by the Psychiatric Department of Cracow University. He contended that any opinion prepared by psychiatrists of the Cracow Detention Centre would be biased and threatened to go on hunger strike if he was brought to the Centre for a medical examination.

On 25 June 1993 the applicant requested the reopening of the criminal proceedings.

On 4 August 1993 the Psychiatric Department of Cracow University informed the Katowice Regional Court that the exact date of the applicant’s out-patient examination could be fixed only after 23 August 1993. By a letter of 18 August 1993, the Katowice Regional Court forwarded that information to the applicant.

On 1 and 2 September 1993 Cracow University informed the court that the applicant could be admitted to the University hospital in late October or early November 1993, after an analysis of his medical file had been completed.

By a letter of 15 September 1993, the Katowice regional prosecutor informed the applicant that his request of 23 June 1993 to have the criminal proceedings reopened would not be considered.

On 22 September 1993 the applicant’s medical file was sent to Cracow University. On 18 November 1993 the applicant requested the court to order his examination without further delay. On 17 December 1993, the University, in reply to the court’s enquiry, informed it that the applicant would be admitted for an out-patient examination from 31 January to 3 February 1994. On 24 January 1994 the court informed the applicant that his file had been transmitted to the Psychiatric Department of Cracow University.

From 31 January to 4 February 1994 the applicant underwent an examination at the Psychiatric Department of Cracow University.

On 18 May 1994 the Katowice Regional Court informed the applicant that his file was still with the Psychiatric Department of the University and that the expert medical report was not yet ready. On 30 May 1994, the University informed the court that the opinion would be ready by the end of June 1994.

On 16 June 1994 the applicant requested access to his medical file. On 21 June 1994 the court informed him that it was still at Cracow University.

On 21 June 1994, in reply to the court’s enquiry, the University informed the Katowice Regional Court that it could not return the applicant’s medical file to the court, as the medical opinion had not been prepared. On 5 July 1994, the applicant again requested to be granted access to his medical file. On 21 July 1994 the Katowice Regional Court informed him that his file was still being examined by the specialists of the Cracow University Psychiatric Department, who were preparing an opinion.

In their opinion of 30 November 1994, the psychiatrists from Cracow University stated that the applicant’s condition required continued detention and that the grounds on which his committal to a psychiatric institution had been ordered had not ceased to exist. This opinion was submitted to the Katowice Regional Court on 15 December 1994.

On 9 January 1995 the court, having considered the medical opinion of 30 November 1994, decided that the applicant’s detention should be maintained.

Subsequently, by decisions of 4 March 1996 and 30 December 1996, the Katowice Regional Court ordered that, in the light of medical opinions of 18 January 1996 and 24 September 1996 respectively, the applicant should remain in detention. On 28 September 1996, the applicant attempted to commit suicide at Rybnik Psychiatric Hospital. On 23 June 1997, the Katowice Regional Court ordered the applicant’s release.