Information Note on the Court’s case-law 13

December 1999

Ferreira de Sousa and Costa Araújo v. Portugal - 36257/97

Judgment 14.12.1999 [Section IV]

Article 6

Civil proceedings

Article 6-1

Reasonable time

Length of civil proceedings: violation

The case concerns the length of proceedings brought against the applicants in February 1991 in respect of an action to determine boundaries. The parties reached a friendly settlement in January 1998. The proceedings therefore lasted around 6 years 11 months.

Conclusion : violation (unanimous).

Article 41 - The Court awarded the applicants 700,000 escudos (PTE) in respect of non-pecuniary damage and 250,000 escudos in respect of costs and expenses.

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

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