PROCEDURE

The case originated in an application (no. 45288/99) against the Republic of Poland 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 a Polish national, Jan Ciągadlak (“the applicant”), on 4 May 1998.

The Polish Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agent, Mr K. Drzewicki, of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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).

On 4 December 2001 the Fourth Section decided to communicate the application to the Government. Under the provisions of Article 29 § 3 of the Convention, it decided to examine the merits of the application at the same time as its admissibility.

THE FACTS

The applicant was born in 1929 and lives in Warsaw.

On 2 April 1992 the applicant filed with the Warsaw Regional Court (sąd wojewódzki) a petition in which he requested the annulment of a judgment delivered in 1947 in criminal proceedings against him, submitting that they had been of a political nature. He also claimed compensation.

On 10 February 1993 the court annulled that judgment. However, its decision did not relate to the compensation claim.

On 19 February 1993 the applicant filed another compensation claim.

Subsequently, he lodged several complaints concerning the inactivity of the court, but to no avail.

In her letters of 15 December 1993 and 29 June 1994, in reply to the applicant's complaints, a judge of the Regional Court informed the applicant that the delay in the examination of his compensation claim was caused by a large number of similar requests lodged with that court and the dearth of judges.

On 22 February 1995 the court held a hearing. A public prosecutor requested that the proceedings be stayed, submitting that a part of the Regional Court's decision of 10 February 1993 was invalid and required supplementation. Subsequently, the court stayed the proceedings.

The hearing scheduled for 22 March 1995 was adjourned at the applicant's request.

On 4 April 1995 the Regional Court asked the Office for the State Protection (Urząd Ochrony Państwa) to submit certain documents. The documents were submitted to the court on 27 March 1996.

On 4 July 1996 the proceedings were resumed.

The court adjourned the hearing scheduled for 23 January 1997, as the proceedings concerning the annulment of the criminal judgment against the applicant given in 1947 had not been completed.

On 19 June 2000 the Warsaw Regional Court gave judgment. It awarded the applicant PLN 7,500 in compensation. He did not lodge an appeal against that judgment.