PROCEDURE

The case originated in an application (no. 38536/97) against the Republic of Austria lodged with the European Commission of Human Rights (“the Commission”) under former Article 25 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) by an Austrian national, Mr Josef Schreder (“the applicant”), on 9 January 1997.

The applicant was represented before the Court by Mr W. Dellacher, a lawyer practising in Klagenfurt. The Austrian Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agent, Ambassador H. Winkler, Head of the International Law Department at the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The applicant alleged, in particular, that civil proceedings concerning him lasted unreasonably long.

The application was transmitted to the Court on 1 November 1998, when Protocol No. 11 to the Convention came into force (Article 5 § 2 of Protocol No. 11).

The application was allocated to the Third Section of the Court (Rule 52 § 1 of the Rules of Court). Within that Section, the Chamber that would consider the case (Article 27 § 1 of the Convention) was constituted as provided in Rule 26 § 1 of the Rules of Court.

By a decision of 21 November 2000 the Court declared the application partly admissible.

As of 1 November 2001 the application was allocated to the First Section of the Court. Within that Section, the Chamber that would consider the case was constituted as provided in Rule 26 § 1 of the Rules of Court.

THE FACTS

The applicant was a shareholder in a limited liability company, but assigned his shares to another shareholder in 1985. Subsequently, the company went bankrupt.

On 8 April 1986 a bank which had extended credit to the company filed an action against the applicant with the Innsbruck Regional Court (Landesgericht) requesting repayment because of his joint and several liability for the credit.

On 29 April 1986 the first hearing was held and on 14 July 1986 the second. On 1 August 1986 the file was transmitted to the Lienz District Court (Bezirksgericht) to hear two witnesses and the applicant. On 18 November 1986 the Lienz District Court returned the file to the Innsbruck District Court. On 25 November 1986 the file was transmitted to the Salzburg District Court to hear witnesses. The file was returned on 12 May 1987 and 10 September 1987 was set down as date for the next hearing. It was postponed upon the applicant’s request and was eventually held on 6 October 1987. On 18 November 1987 the court appointed a banking expert. On 11 February 1988 the file was again transmitted to the Lienz District Court for the hearing of a further witness. It was returned on 3 March and sent to the expert on 22 April 1988. The expert delivered his opinion on 23 September 1988. The applicant’s request for an extension of the time‑limit to comment on the expert opinion was granted and the time‑limit set at 14 November 1988. On 19 January 1989 another hearing was held.

On 20 February 1989 the Regional Court granted the bank’s claim having regard to the submissions of the parties, witnesses and the expert, to documentary evidence and to the case files of the bankruptcy proceedings.

On 29 March 1989 the applicant appealed against this decision. On 25 August 1989 the Innsbruck Court of Appeal (Oberlandesgericht) quashed the decision and referred the case back to the Regional Court.

A hearing which was scheduled by the Innsbruck Regional Court for 22 March 1990 had to be postponed as the claimant had failed to submit necessary documents and a witness could not be summoned. It was held on 29 August 1990. Subsequently, the applicant requested legal aid and on 24 September 1990 requested an extension by four weeks of the time-limit for submitting his declaration of means. On 3 December 1990, after the applicant had been granted legal aid, the expert was ordered to supplement his opinion. The expert complied with this order on 11 October 1991. After a hearing was held on 7 May 1992, the expert was again ordered to supplement his opinion. On 14 September 1993 the expert informed the court that both parties had failed to submit documents required. On 29 September 1993 a further hearing was held at which the court dismissed the applicant’s motion for bias concerning the expert. The next hearing was held on 25 April 1994 and on 9 May 1994 the file was again transmitted to the expert. On 30 January 1995 the expert submitted his supplemented opinion. On 15 March 1995 a further hearing was held.

On 12 February 1996 the Innsbruck Regional Court again granted the bank’s claim. On 3 April 1996 the applicant appealed against the decision.

On 12 July 1996 the Innsbruck Court of Appeal dismissed the applicant’s appeal.

On 30 January 1997 the Supreme Court (Oberster Gerichtshof) dismissed the applicant’s appeal. The decision was served on 18 February 1997.