5522/25

FIRST SECTION CASE OF VUKOVIĆ v. MONTENEGRO (Application no. 5522/25) JUDGMENT STRASBOURG 25 June 2026 This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision. In the case of Vuković v. Montenegro, The European Court of Human Rights (First Section), sitting as a Committee composed of: Raffaele Sabato, President, Artūrs Kučs, Anna Adamska-Gallant, judges, and Viktoriya Maradudina, ActingDeputy Section Registrar, Having deliberated in private on 4 June 2026, Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date: PROCEDURE 1.The case originated in an application against Montenegro lodged with the Court under Article34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) on 31January2025. 2.The applicant was represented by Mr S. Žarić, a lawyer practising in Podgorica. 3.The Montenegrin Government (“theGovernment”) were given notice of the application on 19 June 2025. THE FACTS 4.The applicant’s details and information relevant to the application are set out in the appended table. 5.The applicant complained of the excessive length of constitutional proceedings. THE LAW ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE6 § 1 OF THE CONVENTION 6.The applicant complained that the length of the constitutional proceedings in question had been incompatible with the “reasonable time” requirement. He relied on Article6 § 1 of the Convention. 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 applicant and the relevant authorities and what was at stake for the applicant in the dispute (see Frydlender v.France [GC], no.30979/96, §43, ECHR 2000-VII). 8.In the leading cases of Stakić v. Montenegro, no. 49320/07, §§ 45-61, 2 October 2012, and Siništaj v. Montenegro [Committee], no. 31529/15, § 32, 23 September 2021, the Court already found a violation 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. Notably, the proceedings in question came to an end on 10 July 2025 (when the decision of the Constitutional Court was served on the applicant), that is after the communication of the application to the Government (compare Mehmedović and Others v. Serbia [Committee], nos. 23202/20 and 14 others, 29 September 2022, and contrast Nikolić and Others v. Serbia (dec.) [Committee], nos. 48162/18 and 8 others, 21 January 2021). The Government’s objection that the application constituted an abuse of the right of petition, because the applicant had failed to inform the Court that the proceedings had come to an end, must therefore be dismissed. 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 Article6 § 1 of the Convention. APPLICATION OF ARTICLE41 OF THE CONVENTION 11.Regard being had to the documents in its possession and to its case‑law (see, in particular, Stakić, cited above, §§ 45-61, and Siništaj, also cited above, § 37), 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 discloses a breach of Article6 § 1 of the Convention concerning the excessive length of constitutional proceedings; Holds that the respondent State is to pay the applicant, within three months, the amounts indicated in the appended table; that from the expiry of the above-mentioned three months until settlement simple interest shall be payable on the above amounts 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 25 June 2026, pursuant to Rule77§§2 and3 of the Rules of Court. Viktoriya MaradudinaRaffaele Sabato Acting Deputy RegistrarPresident APPENDIX Application raising complaints under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention (excessive length of constitutional proceedings) Application no. Date of introduction Applicant’s name Year of birth Start of proceedings End of proceedings Total length Levels of jurisdiction Amount awarded for non-pecuniary damage per applicant (in euros)[1] Amount awarded for costs and expenses per application (in euros)[2] 5522/25 31/01/2025 Ivan VUKOVIĆ 24/01/2018 10/07/2025 years and 5 months and 17 days level of jurisdiction 2,400 [1]Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicant. [2]Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicant.