PROCEDURE

The case originated in an application (no. 49929/99) 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, Wiesław Chodecki (“the applicant”), on 10 August 1998.

The Polish Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agents Mr K. Drzewicki, and subsequently, Mr J. Wołąsiewicz, of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

On 9 October 2003 the Court declared the application partly inadmissible and decided to communicate the complaint concerning the length of the applicant’s detention on remand 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.

On 1 November 2001 the Court changed the composition of its Sections (Rule 25 § 1). This case was assigned to the newly composed Second Section (Rule 52 § 1).

THE FACTS

I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE

The applicant was born in 1955 and lives in Sosnowiec.

On 12 June 1994 he was arrested on suspicion of murdering his common-law wife.

On 13 June 1994 the Sosnowiec District Prosecutor (Prokurator Rejonowy) charged the applicant with homicide and remanded him in custody until 12 August 1994 in connection with the investigation against him. The prosecutor considered that, given the serious nature of the offence in question, keeping the applicant in custody was necessary to ensure that the process of obtaining evidence followed its proper course. On the same day the prosecutor ordered an autopsy.

On 23 June 1994 the applicant appealed and requested his release.

On 24 June and 4 July 1994 the prosecutor ordered expert opinions. On 6 July 1994 the prosecutor ordered a reconstitution of the events which had taken place on the day of the death.

On 11 July 1994 the Katowice Regional Court (Sąd Wojewódzki) dismissed the applicant’s appeal of 23 June 1994. It found the same justification for the applicant’s detention: the reasonable suspicion against him, the serious nature of the offence in question and the fear that the applicant might tamper with the evidence.

On 28 July 1994 the Sosnowiec District Prosecutor prolonged the applicant’s detention until 12 September 1994.

On 29 July 1994 the Sosnowiec District Court ordered that two psychiatric reports be obtained in order to establish the applicant’s criminal responsibility.

On 27 and 28 August 1994 the prosecutor ordered that two other medical reports be obtained.

On 5 September 1994 the Katowice Regional Court prolonged the applicant’s detention on remand until 30 October 1994, relying on the existence of a reasonable suspicion that he had committed the offence in question. The court referred also to the fact that two expert reports had to be prepared. They were submitted to the court on 9 September and 24 October 1994.

On 24 October 1994 the applicant obtained access to the case-file.

On 28 October 1994 the District Prosecutor submitted the bill of indictment to the Regional Court. The prosecutor asked the court to hear evidence from 38 witnesses.

The trial court held hearings on 12 January, 16 March, 21 March, 28 March, 1 June, 8 June, 20 June, 12 October and 12 December 1995, as well as on 28 March 1996.

On 28 March 1996 the Katowice Regional Court gave judgment. The court convicted the applicant as charged, and sentenced him to twelve years’ imprisonment.

On 30 May 1996 the applicant appealed.

On 13 August 1996 the Katowice Court of Appeal (Sąd Apelacyjny) quashed the first-instance judgment and remitted the case for re-examination. It pointed out that the conviction was based on circumstantial evidence and that certain facts required further clarification.

In the course of the retrial, the Regional Court held hearings on 10 December 1996, 27 February, 28 February, 26 March, 30 April, 8 May and 28 October 1997, as well as on 14 and 22 January 1998. The hearing scheduled for 17 February 1998 was adjourned.

At the hearings of 30 April 1997, 28 October 1997 and 17 February 1998 the applicant’s counsel applied for his release, but to no avail.

On 1 June 1998 the court prolonged the applicant’s detention until 30 November 1998. It made reference to the reasonableness of the suspicion that he had committed the offence in question. The court stressed the serious nature of that offence and the necessity to consider further evidence.

On 10 June 1998 the applicant’s lawyer appealed against that decision. He contested the reasonableness of the charge against his client, maintaining that it was solely based on presumptive evidence. He also submitted that the applicant’s prolonged detention no longer served the purpose of securing the proper course of the proceedings since all necessary evidence had been obtained by the courts.

On 24 June 1998 the Katowice Court of Appeal dismissed both appeals. It pointed out that the principle referred to by the applicant, whereby detention exceeding two years could be prolonged only by the Supreme Court, did not apply to his case. The court observed that that principle concerned only the proceedings before the trial court and it was no longer valid once that court had delivered its judgment, even if the judgment was subsequently quashed by the appellate court.

On 30 July 1998 the applicant appealed against this decision.

On 3 August 1998 the Katowice Court of Appeal informed the applicant that no appeal lay against a decision given by an appellate court.

On 24 September 1998 the Katowice Regional Court gave judgment. It again convicted the applicant of homicide and sentenced him to ten years’ imprisonment. The court deducted from the sentence the period spent by the applicant in detention.

On 26 November 1998 the applicant’s lawyer appealed.

On 27 November 198 the Katowice Regional Court prolonged the applicant’s detention on remand until 29 January 1999 in view of the applicant’s conviction and sentence the month before.

On 8 December 1998 the applicant challenged that decision before a court which did not have the necessary jurisdiction. Accordingly, on 11 January 1999 the matter was transferred to the Katowice Court of Appeal, which on 25 February 1999 dismissed both of his appeals.

On 26 April 1999 the applicant’s lawyer lodged a cassation appeal with the Supreme Court concerning the conviction and sentence.

On 6 March 2000 the Supreme Court dismissed that appeal.