Information Note on the Court’s case-law 20

July 2000

S.A. v. Portugal - 36421/97

Judgment 27.7.2000 [Section IV]

Article 6

Civil proceedings

Article 6-1

Reasonable time

Length of civil proceedings following the finding of a violation due to the length: violation

The case concern the length of proceedings. In an earlier application to the European Commission of Human Rights (N˚ 18034/91), the Commission had already found a violation of Article 6 because the applicant had not had his case examined within a reasonable time. The present application therefore concerns the period after 1 July 1993 (the day after adoption of the Commission’s report). The proceedin gs ended on 14 August 1998 and therefore lasted about five years and one month.

Conclusion : violation (unanimously).

Article 41 - The Court awarded the applicant 400,000 escudos (PTE) in respect of non-pecuniary damage.

© Council of Europe/European Court of Human Rights This summary by the Registry does not bind the Court.

Click here for the Case-Law Information Notes