23095/24

SECOND SECTION CASE OF KASZA AND OTHERS v. HUNGARY (Application no. 23095/24)             JUDGMENT   STRASBOURG 28 August 2025   This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision. In the case of Kasza and Others v. Hungary, The European Court of Human Rights (Second Section), sitting as a Committee composed of:  Gediminas Sagatys, President,  Stéphane Pisani,  Juha Lavapuro, judges, and Attila Teplán, Acting Deputy Section Registrar, Having deliberated in private on 3 July 2025, Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date: PROCEDURE 1.  The case originated in an application against Hungary lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) on 5 August 2024. 2.  The applicants were represented by Ms F. Pintér, a lawyer practising in Győr. 3.  The Hungarian Government (“the Government”) were given notice of the application. THE FACTS 4.  The list of applicants and the relevant details of the application are set out in the appended table. 5.  The applicants complained of the excessive length of civil (liquidation) proceedings. THE LAW ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 6 § 1 OF THE CONVENTION 6.  The applicants complained that the length of the liquidation proceedings in question had been incompatible with the “reasonable time” requirement. They relied on Article 6 § 1 of the Convention, which reads as follows: Article 6 § 1 “In the determination of his civil rights and obligations ... everyone is entitled to a ... hearing within a reasonable time by [a] ... tribunal ...” 7.  The Court reiterates that the reasonableness of the length of proceedings must be assessed in the light of the circumstances of the case and with reference to the following criteria: the complexity of the case, the conduct of the applicants and the relevant authorities and what was at stake for the applicants in the dispute (see Frydlender v. France [GC], no. 30979/96, § 43, ECHR 2000-VII). 8.  In the leading cases of Gazsó v. Hungary, no. 48322/12, 16 July 2015, and Csatári and Others v. Hungary [Committee], no. 18514/24, 20 May 2025, the Court already found violations in respect of issues similar to those in the present case. 9.  Having examined all the material submitted to it, the Court has not found any fact or argument capable of justifying the overall length of the proceedings at the national level. Having regard to its case-law on the subject, the Court considers that in the instant case the length of the proceedings was excessive and failed to meet the “reasonable time” requirement. 10.  These complaints are therefore admissible and disclose a breach of Article 6 § 1 of the Convention. APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 41 OF THE CONVENTION 11.  Article 41 of the Convention provides: “If the Court finds that there has been a violation of the Convention or the Protocols thereto, and if the internal law of the High Contracting Party concerned allows only partial reparation to be made, the Court shall, if necessary, afford just satisfaction to the injured party.” 12.  Regard being had to the documents in its possession and to its case‑law (see, in particular, Csatári and Others, cited above, §§ 9 to 15), the Court considers it reasonable to award the sums indicated in the appended table. FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT, UNANIMOUSLY, Declares the application admissible; Holds that this application disclose a breach of Article 6 § 1 of the Convention concerning the excessive length of civil proceedings; Holds (a)  that the respondent State is to pay the applicants, within three months, the amount indicated in the appended table, to be converted into the currency of the respondent State at the rate applicable at the date of settlement; (b)  that from the expiry of the above-mentioned three months until settlement simple interest shall be payable on the above amount at a rate equal to the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank during the default period plus three percentage points. Done in English, and notified in writing on 28 August 2025, pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.    Attila Teplán Gediminas Sagatys  Acting Deputy Registrar President       APPENDIX Application raising complaints under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention (excessive length of civil proceedings) Application no. Date of introduction Applicant’s name Year of birth   Representative’s name and location Start of proceedings End of proceedings Total length Levels of jurisdiction Amount awarded for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage and costs and expenses per applicant (in euros)[1] 23095/24 05/08/2024 (36 applicants) József KASZA Boldizsár BÖDŐ Lászlóné BREUER Péter FARKAS László HALÁSZ József HONTI Ella JANCSÓ Lászlóné KÉKESI Illés KOVÁCS Lajos KOZÁK Mihály MANYKÓ Béláné MIKÓ Mihály MLADONYECZKI Ferenc Józsefné MÓRA Ferenc MÓRÉ János MUCSI Istvánné NAGY Istvánné NAGY György PAPP Ignác PERGE Margit PETRÓ János PRECZEKJÁN János RATKAI Anna RÓZSA Margit S. PAPP Istvánné SOMODI István Miklós SZABÓ László SZABÓ László SZABÓ József TÖRÖK György VACHAL Józsefné VÁGÁNY Ferenc VARGA Józsefné VARGA Károly VARGA József VÁRSZEGI   Pintér Fruzsina Győr 13/07/2000   pending   More than 24 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 9 day(s) 1 level(s) of jurisdiction       [1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.