Lexploria

FIRST SECTION

DECISION

Application no. 12772/10 Lidya Dâ€™ALESSANDRO and Others against Italy and 7 other applications (see tables appended)

The European Court of Human Rights (First Section), sitting on 19 September 2023 as a Committee composed of:

PÃ©ter Paczolay , President , Gilberto Felici, Raffaele Sabato , judges ,

and Liv Tigerstedt, Deputy Section Registrar,

Having regard to:

the applications lodged on the various dates indicated in the appended tables,

the declarations submitted by the respondent Government on 19 January, 30 January, 23 June and 11 July 2023 requesting the Court to strike the applications out of the list of cases and the applicantsâ€™ reply to those declarations,

Having deliberated, decides as follows:

FACTS AND PROCEDURE

1. The list of applicants is set out in the appended tables.

2. The applicants were represented by Mr Giuseppe Ferraro, a lawyer practising in Naples.

3. The Italian Government (â€œthe Governmentâ€) were represented by their Agent, Mr L. Dâ€™Ascia.

4. The applicantsâ€™ complaint under Article 6 of the Convention concerning the legislative interference pending judicial proceedings was communicated to the Government.

THE LAW

5. Having regard to the similar subject matter of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single decision.

6. The Court firstly takes note of the information regarding the death of certain applicants, indicated in Appendix I, and the wish of their heirs to continue the proceedings in their stead, as well as of the absence of an objection to that wish on the Governmentâ€™s part. Therefore, the Court considers that the heirs indicated in Appendix I have standing to continue the proceedings in the late applicantsâ€™ stead.

7. On 19 and 30 January 2023 the Government informed the Court that all of the applicants listed in Appendix II had died. The applicantsâ€™ representative did not contest that information and no heirs have come forward.

8. Accordingly, the Court considers that it is no longer justified to continue the examination of the applications with respect to the applicants listed in Appendix II (Article 37 Â§ 1 (c) of the Convention).

9. As concerns the applicants listed in Appendix I, after unsuccessful friendly-settlement negotiations, on 19 January, 30 January, 23 June and 11 July 2023 the Government informed the Court that they proposed to make unilateral declarations with a view to resolving the issues raised by these applicants. They further requested the Court to strike out the applications in accordance with Article 37 of the Convention.

10. The Government acknowledged a violation of Article 6 Â§ 1 of the Convention. They offered to pay these applicants the amounts detailed in Appendix I and invited the Court to strike the applications out of the list of cases in accordance with Article 37 Â§ 1 (c) of the Convention. The amounts would be payable within three months from the date of notification of the Courtâ€™s decision. In the event of failure to pay these amounts within the above-mentioned three-month period, the Government undertook to pay simple interest on them, from the expiry of that period until settlement, at a rate equal to the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank during the default period plus three percentage points.

11. The payment will constitute the final resolution of the case.

12. The applicants were sent the terms of the Governmentâ€™s unilateral declarations. On 20 February and 26 July 2023, the Court received responses from the applicantsâ€™ representative refusing the terms of the declarations.

13. The Court observes that Article 37 Â§ 1 (c) enables it to strike a case out of its list if:

â€œ... for any other reason established by the Court, it is no longer justified to continue the examination of the applicationâ€.

14. Thus, it may strike out applications under Article 37 Â§ 1 (c) on the basis of a unilateral declaration by a respondent Government even if the applicants wish the examination of the case to be continued (see, in particular, Tahsin Acar v. Turkey (preliminary objections) [GC], no. 26307/95, Â§Â§ 75 â€‘ 77, ECHR 2003-VI).

15. The Court has established clear and extensive case-law concerning complaints relating to the legislative interference pending judicial proceedings in Italy (see, for example, Arras and Others v. Italy , no. 17972/07, 14 February 2012; Natale and Others v. Italy , no. 19264/07, 15 October 2013; and Casacchia and Others v. Italy , nos. 23658/07 and 2 others, 15 October 2013).

16. In the present case, the Court takes note of the applicantsâ€™ argument that, with regard to certain applicants, the amounts offered are based on a standardised determination of damages. Nevertheless, the Court also notes that only a limited number of applicants have provided individual calculations of the amounts claimed, whereas the remaining ones generically stated the applicable criteria and claimed that they were unable to submit a precise calculation. The Court recalls that it is for the applicants to prove, as far as possible, not only the existence but also the amount of the damage. Although the Court accepts that a precise calculation of the sums due is not always possible (see, for example, KuriÄ‡ and Others v. Slovenia (just satisfaction) [GC], no. 26828/06, Â§Â§ 87-90, ECHR 2014), in the present case it is not convinced by the applicantsâ€™ arguments. The existence of the criteria mentioned by the common representative, along with the fact that some of the applicants have provided detailed calculations, indicates that at least an estimate of damages was possible in the present case. In these circumstances, the Court considers that the amounts offered by the Government are consistent with those that the Court would have awarded, based on the criteria adopted in similar cases (see, for example, Arras and Others , cited above).

17. Therefore, noting the admissions contained in the Governmentâ€™s declarations, as well as the amount of compensation proposed, the Court considers that it is no longer justified to continue the examination of the applications relating to the concerned applicants (Article 37 Â§ 1 (c)).

18. In the light of the above considerations, the Court is satisfied that respect for human rights as defined in the Convention and the Protocols thereto does not require it to continue the examination of the applications with respect to the applicants concerned (Article 37 Â§ 1 in fine ).

19. Furthermore, the Court emphasises that, should the Government fail to comply with the terms of their unilateral declarations, the applications may be restored to the list in accordance with Article 37 Â§ 2 of the Convention ( JosipoviÄ‡ v. Serbia (dec.), no. 18369/07, 4 March 2008).

20. In view of the above, it is appropriate to strike the applications out of the list of cases.

For these reasons, the Court, unanimously,

Decides to join the applications;

Holds that the heirs indicated in Appendix I have standing to pursue the proceedings in the stead of the deceased applicants;

Takes note of the death of the applicants listed in Appendix II and of the absence of any heirs wishing to pursue the proceedings before the Court in their stead;

Takes note of the terms of the respondent Governmentâ€™s declarations concerning the remaining applicants (see Appendix I), and of the arrangements for ensuring compliance with the undertakings referred to therein;

Decides to strike the applications out of its list of cases.

Done in English and notified in writing on 12 October 2023.

Liv Tigerstedt PÃ©ter Paczolay Deputy Registrar President

APPENDIX I

Application no. Case name

Introduction date

Applicantâ€™s name Year of birth

Amount awarded for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage per applicant/household

(in euros)

Amount awarded for costs and expenses per applicant/household

(in euros)

12772/10

Dâ€™Alessandro and Others v. Italy

18/12/2009

Lucia MARCOLLA 1955 Iole CATEMARIO 1949 Household

Sara SIGILLI 1933

Silvia SIGILLI 1943 Sergio SIGILLI 1948

Household

Geido VANNINI 1929 Vania VANNINI 1958 Virna VANNINI 1962

Giuliano TONIATTI 1940 Emilio TRONCI 1942

Giuseppe MAIDA Born in 1940

Deceased in 2017

Heirs

Pietro MAIDA

1969Paola MAIDA

1980Mariateresa MATACERA

1969Matteo MAIDA

1996Martina MAIDA

2000Carla BUONERBA 1949

Felice AMBROSINO Born in 1928

Deceased in 2016

Heirs

Maria Luisa AMBROSINO

1961Giuseppe AMBROSINO

1962Piera AMBROSINO

1965Assunta ARCASI 1939

Antonella MAFFETTONE 1936

Gian Domenico CARBONE 1936 Angelo BALESTRIERI 1948

Laura ZAGARELLA Born in 1924

Deceased in 2014

Heirs

Riccardo Dâ€™AMATO

1948Annalisa Dâ€™AMATO

1954Giuliana CAPPUCCIO Born in 1920

Deceased in 2011

Heirs

Raffaella MASTROPAOLO

1959Michaela MASTROPAOLO

1963Maria MICCOLIS Born in 1910

Deceased in 2013

Heirs

Francesco ETTORRE

1938Mario ETTORRE

1942Paola ETTORRE

1948Laura TORTOLI CAROTI Born in 1928

Deceased in 2020

Heir

Alessandro CAROTI

1958 Mariarosaria NIGRO 1941 Carolina ATTANASIO 1938 Rosa REA 1932

Household Claudio DE BIASI 1949 Sergio DE BIASI 1953 Andrea VATO 1924

Household

Maria NICOLETTI 1959

Filomena NICOLETTI Born in 1944

Deceased in 2016

Heirs

Mario FLAGIELLO

1943Giovanni FLAGIELLO

1971Vanessa FLAGIELLO

1975Simonetta FALCIANI 1955 Claudio GRIZIOTTI 1952 Salvatore BELLISARIO Born in 1932

Deceased in 2011

Heirs

Rosa BARBERIO

1936Gloria BELLISARIO

1960Patrizia BELLISARIO 1961

Sondra BELLISARIO

1963Household

Giovanna Dâ€™ANGELO 1938

Marco MAISANO 1964

Marina MAISANO 1966

Adriano BIZZO 1933

Raffaele MASTRANTUONO 1943

Genesia MARCANTONIO 1938

Household

Pasqualina RUBINO 1927

Giovanni LEONE 1943

Mercedes LEONE 1946

Maria Stella LEONE 1948

Claudio LEONE 1952 Silvana LEONE 1955 Maria Adriana CANDELORO 1946 Giovanni NACCARI 1939 Maria Antonietta GIOVENE DI GIRASOLE 1950 Household Serafino GALLO 1942 Rosanna GALLO 1946 Vally Gabriella Liliana GALLO 1948 Toro Riccardo GALLO 1953

4,000

5,900

4,800

4,200

6,300

7,500

4,000

200

12777/10

Bacca and Others v. Italy

18/12/2009

Aldo BACCA Born in 1927

Deceased in 2021

Heirs

Daniela BACCA

1958Adriana BACCA

1963Gino BACCA

1967Guglielmo BACCA

1968 Vincenzo CRISCUOLO GAITO 1937

Assunta Dâ€™ORIO 1943

Adriana Dâ€™AGOSTINO 1936

Ciro DI DESIDERO Born in 1933

Deceased in 2019

Heirs

Anna MONTE

1936Lucia DI DESIDERO

1960Luigi DI DESIDERO

1961Mario DI DESIDERO

1964Marianna DI DESIDERO

1967Household Vitaliano ROCCA 1954 Agnese ROCCA 1955 Sergio ROCCA 1956 Maurizio ROCCA 1963 Antonello ROCCA 1964 Annarita ROCCA 1959

8,300

8,500

4,000

5,000

7,600

10,600

200

12779/10

Saporito and Others v. Italy

18/12/2009

Gianfranco SAPORITO Born in 1935

Deceased in 2019

Heirs

Chiarina FERRANDO

1934Claudio SAPORITO 1963

Mario Michele SOAVE Born in 1931

Deceased in 2013

Heirs

Teresa ZANNO

1933Ermanno Matteo SOAVE

1961Massimiliano SOAVE

1966Matteo SOAVE

1972 Emilio GRASSO 1947 Luigi GRIECO 1942 Giovanni PISANI 1941

Household

Norma BRIVIO Born in 1923

Deceased in 2014 Maria Raffaella LEO (also as heir) 1956 Massimo LEO

(also as heir) 1953 Edda CECCHINI 1940

Household Sergio Luigi SENNI 1990 Daria Luisa SENNI 1988

Household Daniela MORI 1944 Antonella MORI 1957 Ernesto LEO Born in 1935

Deceased in 2013

Heirs

Gabriella LEO

1961Francesco LEO

1963Giampiero LEO

1965Gian Marco PAGLIAI 1940 Luigi PELLEGRINI 1931

Giuseppe TROIANO Born in 1920

Deceased in 2012

Heirs

Mariassunta TROIANO

1948Angela TROIANO

1950Luigi TROIANO

1954Household

Antonio Dâ€™ANNUNZIO 1941

Maria Andrea Dâ€™ANNUNZIO 1982 Household

Liliana PAONE 1940 Alessandra NOTARICOLA 1964 Lorenzo NOTARICOLA 1966 Roberta NOTARICOLA 1967 Household Crocifissa GABRIELE 1926 Isa PANTANELLA 1952 Bruna PANTANELLA 1955

Household Maria Grazia STAFFA 1942 Eugenio STAFFA Born in 1944

Deceased in 2013

Heirs

Pasqualina STELLA

1946Manuela STAFFA

1975Camillo STAFFA

1979 Giuseppe IZZO 1945 Anna BUCCI 1944 Vezio PALMIERI 1950 Daniele MARRI 1938 Household Giuseppe MORABITO 1956

Mario Claudio MORABITO 1968

Anna Rosa SANTANGELO 1950 Giuseppe TARANI 1943 Vincenzo PULETTO 1940

7,100

10,900

4,600

6,700

6,800

9,600

7,400

7,500

4,100

6,600

6,200

9,300

6,100

4,400

4,000

4,500

6,000

6,200

4,000

8,900

16,100

4,200

7,900

4,000

200

12782/10

Costa and Others v. Italy

18/12/2009

Salvatore COSTA 1951 Giovanni Dâ€™AMORE 1935 Maria Rosaria DURANTE 1945 Alfredo DALIA Born in 1922

Deceased in 2022

Heirs

Elia DE ACETIS

1923Tommaso DALIA

1950Caterina DALIA

1955Household Valeria Virginia ENDRIGO 1957 Emma ENDRIGO 1960 Paolo DI CICCO 1944

Household Rita SELVAGGI 1959 Elena SELVAGGI 1965

Household Anna CASTANA 1931

Roberta DI LELIO 1958 Paola DI LELIO 1963 Marco DI LELIO 1963

4,300

8,700

5,900

14,200

9,600

6,500

9,500

4,000

200

12783/10

Bianco and Others v. Italy

18/12/2009

Antonio BIANCO Born in 1931

Deceased in 2021

Heir

Maria Vittoria DE LUCIA

1940 Giovanni BOLLA 1951 Francesco BOSCIA Born in 1940

Deceased in 2022

Heir

Carlo BOSCIA

1969 Andrea CARNEMOLLA 1939 Ornella BERTOLDINI 1945 Alessandro CIULLO 1953 Gaetano AMODEO 1931

Household

Gloria BRUNO 1929 Olina CAPOLINO 1955 Ester CAPOLINO 1958 Luciana CAPOLINO 1964 Maria Rosaria CAPOLINO

1965

5,800

5,000

7,800

7,300

5,800

8,500

11,300

12,400

200

12785/10

Sardella and Others v. Italy

16/12/2009

Gaetano SARDELLA Born in 1922

Deceased in 2017

Heirs

Flavia SARDELLA

1955Walter SARDELLA

1966 Antonietta Dâ€™AMBROSIO Born in 1928

Deceased in 2020

Heir

Adelaide COSTANTINO

1956 Claudio LUNELLI 1937

Household Maria LOTITO Born in 1925

Deceased in 2014

Vitantonio TARANTINI

(also as heir) 1952 Giuseppe TARANTINI (also as heir) 1954

Angela Maria TARANTINI

(also as heir) 1956

Elsa VEGNI Born in 1919

Deceased in 2018

Heir

Marta CAPPELLI

1947Maria STELLA Born in 1930

Deceased in 2012

Heirs

Roberto DODARO

1957Gianfranco DODARO

1962Household Anna ARDITO Born in 1923

Deceased in 2016 Federico SCHIRINZI (also as heir) 1945

9,500

4,000

8,300

8,900

7,000

7,900

11,600

200

12788/10

Alfani and Others v. Italy

11/01/2010

Household

Teresa ALFANI 1952 Luigi ALFANI 1953 Wladimiro ALFANO 1942 Giovanni ALFERJ 1936 Romano AMOROSO 1942

Household

Maria BAGGI 1937 Giuseppe BAGGI 1940 Angiola BAGGI 1946 Household Giuseppina BRUSINELLI 1938 Maurizio GULLETTA 1960 Luciano GULLETTA 1966

Household Paola CANGIANO 1960 Giorgio CANGIANO 1963 Vincenzo CARBOTTI 1946

Household Elge CHIRICO 1939 Luigi CHIRICO 1942

Household Michelina DE LEO 1945

Roberto DE LEO 1947 Vincenzo DE LEO 1950 Alfonso DE LEO 1955

Household Vincenza GIACOMANTONIO 1936 Valentina DEL VECCHIO 1972 Household Maria Gabriella GIOVANNETTI 1958 Giorgio GIOVANNETTI 1962

Household Silvana BONORA 1938 Floriana MAZZEO 1967 Valeria MAZZEO 1969

Giovanni MEGALE Born in 1935

Deceased in 2011

Heirs

Pia Rosa DE ANGELIS

1942Gaetano MEGALE

1963Cristiana MEGALE

1966Valeria MEGALE

1976 Luigi MILONE 1942

Antonio NOTARDONATO 1937

Household Elena PALLADINO 1943 Filomena PALLADINO 1945 Rosanna PALLADINO 1949 Maria Teresa PALLADINO Born in 1925

Deceased in 2013

Heirs

Maurizio FIORILLI

1953Filomena FIORILLI

1956Claudio FIORILLI

1963Pier Luigi PETROVICH 1937 Silvana RICCHIARDI Born in 1922

Deceased in 2014

Heir

Emanuela TOMASSETTI

1954 Romano SABATELLI 1937 Pasquale SANGINARIO 1939

Enrico SANTOMAURO 1941 Andrea SOTTILE Born in 1937

Deceased in 2017

Heirs

Carla SOTTILE 1968

Alberto SOTTILE

1971Mauro SOTTILE

1973 Francesco TIPO Born in 1923

Deceased in 2011

Heirs

Luciana TIPO

1947Luigi TIPO

1949Silvana TIPO

1951Sonia TIPO

1953Brunella TIPO

1957Ivan TIPO

1958Dario TIPO

1960 Silvano TRISTANO 1933 Delio VILLANIS Born in 1920

Deceased in 2016

Heirs

Maria Rosaria VILLANIS

1952Giuseppe VILLANIS

1953Pierpaolo ZANNI 1937

Household

Patrizia ZANONI 1953

Giovanni ZANONI 1954 Household Ersilia CALVANESE 1947

Patrizia CALVANESE 1953

Attilio CALVANESE 1956 Antongiulio CALVANESE 1959

Assunta NOVI Born in 1927

Deceased in 2014

Heirs

Anna IODICE

1951Maria Luisa IODICE

1954Teresa IODICE

1955Raffaele IODICE

1957Elio IANNANTUONO 1938 Maria Grazia DE GIORGIO 1944

8,300

6,600

6,200

7,600

5,000

5,100

4,200

8,000

8,500

6,000

5,600

4,400

5,500

5,600

4,500

5,600

5,800

7,100

4,200

7,100

5,600

5,900

5,700

4,800

4,000

5,700

4,700

4,200

5,800

4,200

5,700

4,200

200

12792/10

Matacena and Others v. Italy

11/01/2010

Francesco MATACENA 1949 Franco FEZZI 1937 Giuseppe GAUDINO 1940 Giuseppe CARRUS 1940 Domenico CATALDO Born in 1937

Deceased in 2020

Heirs

Jolanda CICCARELLI

1937Michele CATALDO

1967Lucia CATALDO

1969Household Sandro SCHIANO DI ZENISE 1967 Giulia SCHIANO DI ZENISE 1969

Household

Concetta CATONE 1962 Ester CATONE 1968 Francesco CALABRESU 1937

Maria Lucia LUCCI 1952

4,000

200

200APPENDIX II

Application no. Case name

Introduction date

Applicantâ€™s name Year of birth

Deceased in

12772/10

Dâ€™Alessandro and Others v. Italy

18/12/2009

Lidya Dâ€™ALESSANDRO 1922

Fulvia PENNACCHIA 1922

Vittorio CAPPABIANCA 1943 Angelo CALOâ€™ 1931

Lina Maria Dâ€™ONOFRIO 1927

2016

2013

2020

2021

12777/10

Bacca and Others v. Italy

18/12/2009

Alberto SANTOLI

1934

2015

12779/10

Saporito and Others v. Italy

18/12/2009

Alfonso PONZIO 1922

Domenico SANTOLERI 1934

Antonina SERRA 1927

2018

2011

2010

12782/10

Costa and Others v. Italy

18/12/2009

Giuseppe DELFINO 1923

2018

12785/10

Sardella and Others v. Italy

16/12/2009

Raimonda SERPI 1932

2022

12788/10

Alfani and Others v. Italy

11/01/2010

Giovanna ALIBERTI 1943

Claudio BALDINI 1944

Francesco COCOZZA 1940 Silvio COTTICELLI 1939

Walter DE SANTIS 1935 Irma DI FABBIO 1925 Amalia DI FERDINANDO 1923

Vittorio FANUELE 1934

Antonio Vincenzo GRIGNOLI 1932

Mirella ORLANDINI 1928

Angelo SACCON 1925

Sergio GERARDI 1936

Cornelia ALLEVA 1918

2010

2019

2020

2021

2022

2012

2013

2018

2014

2011

2021

2010

12792/10

Matacena and Others v. Italy

11/01/2010

Giovanni DE MARCO 1938

2011

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D'ALESSANDRO AND OTHERS v. ITALY

D'ALESSANDRO AND OTHERS v. ITALY

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