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EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS    84  1.2.2000   Press release issued by the Registrar   CHAMBER JUDGMENTS CONCERNING LENGTH OF PROCEEDINGS     The following three chamber judgments[1] have today been notified in writing by the European Court of Human Rights:      1)  Erdokovy v. Italy (Section 2 ) - The case concerns the length of proceedings relating to a claim for compensation for detention, following acquittal. A friendly settlement was reached.   2)  Baquet v. France (Section 3) - The case concerns the length of proceedings brought by the applicant before the administrative courts. A friendly settlement was reached.   3)  Thery v. France (Section 3) - The case concerns the length of administrative proceedings. The Court found a violation of Article 6 § 1 (right to a fair trial) of the European Convention on Human Rights and granted just satisfaction and costs.   ***   The Court’s judgments are accessible on its Internet site (http://www.echr.coe.int).   Registry of the European Court of Human Rights F – 67075 Strasbourg Cedex Contacts: Roderick Liddell (telephone: (0)3 88 41 24 92) or Emma Hellyer (telephone: (0)3 90 21 42 15) Fax: (0)3 88 41 27 91   The European Court of Human Rights was set up in 1959 in Strasbourg to deal with alleged violations of the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights. On 1 November 1998 a full-time Court was established, replacing the original two-tier system of a part-time Commission and Court. [1] Under Article 43 of the European Convention on Human Rights, within three months from the date of a Chamber judgment, any party to the case may, in exceptional cases, request that the case be referred to the 17-member Grand Chamber of the Court.  In that event, a panel of five judges considers whether the case raises a serious question affecting the interpretation or application of the Convention or its Protocols, or a serious issue of general importance, in which case the Grand Chamber will deliver a final judgment. If no such question or issue arises, the panel will reject the request, at which point the judgment becomes final. Otherwise Chamber judgments become final on the expiry of the three-month period or earlier if the parties declare that they do not intend to make a request to refer.