PROCEDURE

The case originated in an application (no. 8518/08) against the Republic of Poland lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) by a Polish national, Ms Grażyna Kaniewska (“the applicant”), on 5 February 2008.

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

On 12 March 2009 the President of the Fourth Section of the Court decided to give notice of the application to the Government. It was also decided to rule on the admissibility and merits of the application at the same time (Article 29 § 3).

On 24 July 2009 the Government submitted a unilateral declaration and invited the Court to strike out the application, in accordance with Article 37 of the Convention.

THE FACTS

I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE

The applicant was born in 1951 and lives in Warsaw.

A. Main proceedings

1. Facts prior to 1 May 1993

On 22 March 1993 the applicant's mother lodged with the Warsaw Regional Court (Sąd Wojewódzki) a claim for a declaration that a notarial deed was null and void (in the framework of inheritance proceedings). The action was instituted against five defendants.

2. Facts after 1 May 1993

On 30 September 1993 the proceedings were stayed.

On 15 January 1994 the applicant's mother died. On 10 January 1995 the applicant confirmed that she wished to continue the proceedings in her stead and requested that the proceedings be resumed.

On 22 October 1996 the court refused to resume the proceedings, stating that the applicant had failed to comply with the court's order to produce the inheritance decisions concerning the defendants.

The applicant lodged numerous requests for the resumption of the proceedings, to no avail. She submitted that the courts had refused to serve on her the requested decisions, since she was not the defendants' relative.

On 20 September 2004 the proceedings were eventually resumed on the applicant's request.

On 16 November 2004 the court held a hearing.

On 13 April 2005 the court stayed the proceedings. The applicant did not lodge an appeal against this decision.

The applicant lodged two motions for the resumption of the proceedings. They were dismissed by the court on 23 October and 15 December 2006. The applicant lodged an appeal against the second decision.

On 23 October 2007 the Warsaw Court of Appeal amended the decision of 15 December 2006 and resumed the proceedings. The court held that the decision of 13 April 2005 was ill-founded since there were no legal grounds for staying the proceedings.

On 22 October 2008 the court held a hearing.

On 23 October 2008 the Warsaw Regional Court gave judgment dismissing the applicant's plea as unfounded. On 3 December 2008 the applicant lodged an appeal. It appears that the proceedings are still pending.

B. Proceedings under the 2004 Act

On 30 July 2007 the applicant lodged with the Warsaw Court of Appeal a complaint under section 5 of the Law on 17 June 2004 on complaints about a breach of the right to a trial within a reasonable time (Ustawa o skardze na naruszenie prawa strony do rozpoznania sprawy w postępowaniu sądowym bez nieuzasadnionej zwłoki) (“the 2004 Act”) which entered into force on 17 September 2004. She sought a ruling declaring that the length of the proceedings before the Warsaw Regional Court had been excessive. She asked for the acceleration of the proceedings and an award of just satisfaction in the amount of 10,000 Polish zlotys (PLN) (approx. 2,500 euros (EUR)).

On 6 September 2007 the Warszawa Court of Appeal dismissed the complaint. The court held that on 17 September 2004, the date on which the 2004 Act had entered into force, the proceedings in the case had been stayed. Therefore, in the court's opinion, there was no undue delay on the part of the trial court. The court further found that after the resumption of the proceedings on 20 September 2004 there had been no inactivity for which the Regional Court could be held responsible.