PROCEDURE

The case originated in an application (no. 8934/05) 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, Mr January Jagiełło (“the applicant”), on 2 February 2005.

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

On 14 December 2006 the President of the Fourth Section of the Court decided to give notice of the complaint concerning the length of the proceedings to the Government. It was also decided to rule on the admissibility and merits of the application at the same time (Article 29 § 3).

THE FACTS

I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE

The applicant was born in 1936 and lives in Warszawa.

He is a taxi driver by profession. On 4 February 1974 he had a car accident in Bulgaria. On 28 November 1995 he was involved in another car accident in Warsaw.

A. Proceedings concerning disability pension

On 5 August 1996 the applicant lodged a claim for a disability pension in connection with both accidents. On 16 October 1996 the Warsaw Social Security Board gave a decision. On 20 December 1996 the applicant appealed against it.

On 14 November 1997 the Warsaw Regional Court stayed the proceedings with respect to the disability caused by the accident of 28 November 1995 pending the termination of criminal proceedings against the applicant. The applicant’s interlocutory appeal against that decision was dismissed by the Warsaw Court of Appeal on 18 December 1997.

As regards the disability resulting from the accident which had occurred in 1974, the Regional Court has still not determined the matter.

On 23 July 1998 the applicant filed another motion with the Warsaw Social Security Board to be granted a disability pension in connection with the 1974 accident. On 24 February 1999 he lodged a complaint with the Regional Court alleging inactivity on the part of the Social Security Board.

On 3 November 2004 the Regional Court severed part of the applicant’s claim concerning the 1974 accident.

On 10 November 2004 the Social Security Board gave a decision in respect of the 1974 accident. On 25 November 2004 the applicant appealed against it.

On 29 April 2005 the Warsaw Regional Court gave judgment in the criminal proceedings against the applicant concerning the accident which had occurred in 1995. The judgment is final.

On 27 September 2005 the Warsaw Regional Court gave a judgment upholding the decision issued by the Warsaw Social Security Board in 2004 in connection with the 1974 accident. The judgment is final.

On 1 February 2007 the Warsaw Regional Court gave judgment granting the applicant a right to a disability pension in connection with the 1995 accident. Both parties appealed against that judgment.

On 14 August 2007 the Warsaw Court of Appeal gave judgment in which it rejected the applicant’s appeal and entertained the appeal lodged by the Warsaw Social Security Board. The Court of Appeal quashed the second-instance judgment of 1 February 2007 and remitted the case.

The proceedings in respect of the 1995 accident are still pending.

B. Proceedings under the 2004 Act

On an unspecified date the applicant filed a complaint with the Warsaw Regional Court under the 2004 Act as regards the proceedings relating to the 1995 accident.

On 8 February 2005 the Warsaw Court of Appeal dismissed the applicant’s complaint. The court observed that the proceedings had been stayed because the criminal proceedings against the applicant were pending.

On 17 February 2005 the applicant filed a complaint with the Warsaw Regional Court under the 2004 Act alleging that the proceedings concerning the 1974 accident had been unreasonably lengthy.

On 5 May 2005 the Warsaw Court of Appeal gave judgment and confirmed that the proceedings had been lengthy. It also granted the applicant PLN 4,000 [EUR 1,200] in compensation.

Subsequently, the applicant filed several complaints under the 2004 Act as regards the proceedings relating to the 1995 accident. On 5 September 2007, having examined the applicant’s complaint on the merits, the Warsaw Court of Appeal dismissed the complaint. On 19 June 2008 the Warsaw Court of Appeal refused to entertain the applicant’s complaint lodged on 6 May 2008 on the ground that the statutory period of twelve months had not lapsed since the date of the previous complaint.