PROCEDURE

The case originated in an application (no. 71894/01) 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 Czesław Dybo (“the applicant”), on 30 November 1999.

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

On 17 December 2002 the Fourth Section decided to communicate the complaint concerning the length of the proceedings 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. It also gave priority to the application, pursuant to Rule 41 of the Rules of the Court.

THE FACTS

The applicant was born in 1919 and lives in Lubań, Poland.

The applicant was involved in administrative proceedings concerning the amount of the veteran benefit he had been receiving since 1974. On 12 September 1995 the Supreme Administrative Court gave a judgment in his case. The court, inter alia, ordered the Office for Veterans and Persecuted Persons (Urząd do Spraw Kombatantów i Osób Represjonowanych) to pay the applicant a sum of PLN 10 as reimbursement of the court fees. In May 1997 the applicant received from the Office for Veterans and Persecuted Persons only a half of the awarded sum (PLN 5).

In April 1997 the applicant lodged with the Lubań District Court (Sąd Rejonowy w Lubaniu) a civil action against the Office for Veterans and Persecuted Persons. He claimed compensation and payment of, inter alia, the remaining sum of PLN 5.

On 7 May 1997 the Lubań District Court transmitted the case to the Warsaw District Court.

The Warsaw District Court held one hearing and on 30 November 1998 it gave a default judgment (wyrok zaoczny) against the defendant ordering it to pay PLN 50 in compensation and PLN 30 as a reimbursement of the court fees. The court ordered that the judgment should be immediately enforceable.

On 30 March 1999 the defendant lodged an objection against this decision.

On 18 October 1999 the Warsaw District Court suspended the enforcement order in respect of the judgment of 30 November 1998.

The applicant asked the court to order again that the judgment of 30 November 1998 be immediately enforceable. On 29 October 1999 the Warsaw District Court dismissed his request. The applicant appealed against this decision and was ordered to pay the court-fees. On 22 August 2000 his appeal was rejected due to the applicant's failure to pay the court fees. In the appeal procedure against this decision he was also ordered to pay the court‑fees. Finally, the applicant paid the court-fees and on 16 December 2002 the Warsaw Regional Court (Sąd Okręgowy) examined his appeal against the decision of 29 October 1999 and dismissed it.

On 23 October 1999 the Warsaw District Court, sitting in camera, decided that the applicant would be heard by the Lubań District Court. It appears that this court failed to hear the applicant and on 25 April 2002 the trial court repeated its request.

On 28 June 2002 the Lubań District Court heard the applicant.

The proceedings are pending before the Warsaw District Court.