55668/19

FIRST SECTION CASE OF ŽIVALJEVIĆ AND OTHERS v. MONTENEGRO (Application no. 55668/19)             JUDGMENT This version was rectified on 17 October 2024 under Rule 81 of the Rules of Court.     STRASBOURG 18 July 2024   This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision. In the case of Živaljević and Others v. Montenegro, The European Court of Human Rights (First Section), sitting as a Committee composed of:  Péter Paczolay, President,  Gilberto Felici,  Raffaele Sabato, judges, and Viktoriya Maradudina, Deputy Section Registrar, Having deliberated in private on 27 June 2024, 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 Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) on 9 October 2019. 2.  The applicants were represented by Mr Lj. Marković, a lawyer practising in Podgorica. 3.  The Montenegrin Government (“the Government”) were given notice of the application. THE FACTS 4.  The applicants’ details and information relevant to the application are set out in the appended table. 5.  The applicants complained of the non-enforcement of domestic decisions given against socially/State-owned companies. 6.  On 25 June 2019 the Constitutional Court found a violation of the applicants’ rights under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention on account of non-enforcement. The applicants were awarded 2,000 euros (EUR) each in non-pecuniary damage. 7.  In 2021, in the insolvency proceedings against a debtor, the insolvency administrator rendered decisions accepting the applicants’ claims. These decisions have not yet become final. 8.  The domestic decisions under consideration remain unenforced. THE LAW ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 6 § 1 OF THE CONVENTION AND OF ARTICLE 1 OF PROTOCOL No. 1 9.  The applicants complained principally of the non-enforcement of domestic decisions given in their favour. They relied, expressly or in substance, on Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and on Article 1 of Protocol No. 1. 10.  The Government submitted that the applicants had failed to inform the Court about the insolvency administrator’s decisions (see paragraph 7 above) and invited it to reject the application as an abuse of the right of individual application in accordance with Article 35 §§ 3 (a) and 4 of the Convention. 11.  The Court reiterates that the execution of a judgment given by any court must be regarded as an integral part of a “hearing” for the purposes of Article 6. It also refers to its case-law concerning the non-enforcement or delayed enforcement of final domestic judgments (see Hornsby v. Greece, no. 18357/91, § 40, Reports of Judgments and Decisions 1997‑II). 12.  The Court further notes that the decisions in the present case ordered specific action to be taken. The Court therefore considers that the decisions in question constitute “possessions” within the meaning of Article 1 of Protocol No. 1. 13.  In the leading cases of R. Kačapor and Others v. Serbia (nos. 2269/06 and 5 others, §§ 97-99, 106-16 and 119-20, 15 January 2008), and Mijanović v. Montenegro (no. 19580/06, §§ 81-91, 17 September 2013), the Court already found a violation in respect of issues similar to those in the present case. 14.  Having examined all the material submitted to it, the Court has not found any fact or argument capable of persuading it to reach a different conclusion on the admissibility and merits of these complaints. In particular, as regards the Government’s argument (see paragraph 10 above), the Court notes that the insolvency administrator’s decisions have not yet become final and are thus not enforced. Therefore, the information in question did not concern the very core of the case as it is undisputed between the parties that the final decisions in the applicants’ favour under consideration remain unenforced (see paragraph 8 above). The Government’s objection must therefore be rejected. 15.  Having regard to its case-law on the subject, the Court considers that in the instant case the authorities did not deploy all necessary efforts to enforce fully and in due time the decisions in the applicants’ favour. 16.  These complaints are therefore admissible and disclose a breach of Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1. APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 41 OF THE CONVENTION 17.  Regard being had to the documents in its possession and its own case‑law (see, in particular, R. Kačapor and Others, cited above, §§ 123-26; Stošić v. Serbia, no. 64931/10, §§ 66-68, 1 October 2013; and Mastilović and Others v. Montenegro, no. 28754/10, § 52, 24 February 2022) the Court considers it reasonable not to award the applicants compensation in respect of non‑pecuniary damage because it has already been awarded domestically (see paragraph 6 above), but to award them a sum for costs and expenses indicated in the appended table. 18.  The Court further notes that the respondent State has an outstanding obligation to enforce the judgments which remain enforceable.   FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT, UNANIMOUSLY, Declares the application admissible; Holds that this application discloses a breach of Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 concerning the non‑enforcement of domestic decisions given against socially/State-owned companies; Holds that the respondent State shall ensure, by appropriate means, within three months, the enforcement of the pending domestic decisions referred to in the appended table; Holds (a)  that the respondent State is to pay the applicants, within three months, the amount indicated in the appended table in respect of costs and expenses, 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 18 July 2024, pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.    Viktoriya Maradudina Péter Paczolay  Deputy Registrar President       APPENDIX Application raising complaints under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 (non-enforcement or delayed enforcement of domestic decisions given against socially/State-owned companies) The applicants are represented before the Court by Mr Ljubomir Marković, a lawyer practicing in Podgorica.   Application no. Date of introduction Applicant’s name Year of birth   Relevant domestic decision Start date of non-enforcement period   End date of non-enforcement period   Amount awarded for costs and expenses per application (in euros)[1] 55668/19   09/10/2019 (88 applicants) Miodrag ŽIVALJEVIĆ   Milan ASANOVIĆ   Gordana BAJIĆ   Milorad BOGOJEVIĆ   Vasilije BOLJEVIĆ   Vasilije BOLJEVIĆ   Branislav BOROVINIĆ   Radenko BOŠKOVIĆ   Goran BUBANJA   Dragan BULATOVIĆ   Mirko BULATOVIĆ   Slavko CEKOVIĆ   Zoran ČOVIĆ   Miodrag ĆUPIĆ   Zvezdana DABANOVIĆ   Zef DEDIVANOVIĆ   Đevad DELJANIN   Milutin ĐOROJEVIĆ   Milutin ĐUKANOVIĆ Zoran ĐUKANOVIĆ   Miodrag DUMOVIĆ   Golub GOLUBOVIĆ   Vojka GOLUBOVIĆ   Slavica GRGUROVIĆ   Pero GRUJIĆ   Bisera HAROVIĆ   Željko ILIĆ   Marinko IVANOVIĆ   [2]     Miloš IVANOVIĆ   Radomir IVANOVIĆ Saveta IVANOVIĆ   Radivoje JOVANOVIĆ   Radomir JOVANOVIĆ   Radovan JOVANOVIĆ   Veselinka JUŠKOVIĆ   Kosa KAŽIĆ   Špiro KLIKOVAC   Veseljko KLJAJIĆ   Ilija KNEŽEVIĆ   Vojko KNEŽEVIĆ   Selman LJAČEVIĆ       Stojanka MAKOČEVIĆ   Milan MARAŠ   Miodrag MARKOVIĆ   Zlatko MARKOVIĆ   Vjera MIJATOVIĆ   Danilo MIKULIĆ   Radovan MILOŠEVIĆ   Milorad MIRANOVIĆ   Biljana MITROVIĆ   Bosa MUGOŠA   Srđan NIKČEVIĆ   Milenko NOVAKOVIĆ   Željko NOVIĆEVIĆ   Gojko PAJOVIĆ   Radomir PAJOVIĆ   Đon PALJAJ   Milka PAVIĆEVIĆ   Zoran PEJOVIĆ   Velibor POLEKSIĆ   Raško RADEVIĆ   Milan RADINOVIĆ   Miodrag RADINOVIĆ   Nenad RADINOVIĆ     Đorđije RADONJIĆ   Mihailo RADOVIĆ   Predrag RADULOVIĆ   Vaso RADUNOVIĆ   Ljubomir RAJOVIĆ   Sado RAMOVIĆ   Isah RASTODER   Slobodanka RONDOVIĆ   Izet ŠABOVIĆ   Milan ŠALETIĆ   Velimir ŠĆEPANOVIĆ   Momo STIJEPOVIĆ   Mirko STOJANOVIĆ   Aco ŠUŠKAVČEVIĆ   Mesudin TALJANOVIĆ   Danilo TOMIĆ   Bajram TUZOVIĆ   Savo USKOKOVIĆ   Nevena VUJAČIĆ   Zorica VUJOŠEVIĆ   Mirjana VUKOVIĆ   Veselin VUKSANOVIĆ   Predrag VULETIĆ Court of First Instance Podgorica, 29/10/2007   Court of First Instance Podgorica, 20/05/2009   Supreme Court 14/04/2009     Court of First Instance Podgorica, 20/05/2009   High Court Podgorica 05/05/2009   Court of First Instance Podgorica, 24/09/2007   High Court Podgorica 28/04/2009   Supreme Court 31/03/2009   Supreme Court 06/06/2009   Supreme Court 06/06/2009   High Court Podgorica 22/06/2009   High Court Podgorica 30/06/2009   High Court Podgorica 10/07/2009   Court of First Instance Podgorica 01/06/2009   Court of First Instance Podgorica 25/05/2009   Court of First Instance Podgorica 22/07/2009   Court of First Instance Podgorica 22/07/2009   Court of First Instance Podgorica 22/07/2009   Court of First Instance Podgorica 17/02/2009 Court of First Instance Podgorica 24/11/2009   Supreme Court 04/11/2009   Court of First Instance Podgorica 10/10/2009   Court of First Inst ancePodgorica 22/03/2010   Court of First Instance Podgorica 22/03/2010   Court of First Instance Podgorica 21/04/2009   Court of First Instance Podgorica 22/07/2009   Court of First Instance Podgorica 09/04/2010   Court of First Instance Podgorica 09/04/2010   Court of First Instance Podgorica 09/04/2010   Court of First Instance Podgorica 16/03/2010   Court of First Instance Podgorica 24/03/2010 Court of First Instance Podgorica 30/03/2010   Court of First Instance Podgorica 10/04/2007   Court of First Instance Podgorica 29/04/2010   Court of First Instance Podgorica 28/04/2010   Court of First Instance Podgorica 19/07/2010   Court of First Instance Podgorica 07/10/2010   Court of First Instance Podgorica 21/03/2011   Court of First Instance Podgorica 16/06/2011   Court of First Instance Podgorica 15/03/2010   High Court Podgorica 22/04/2010   Commercial Court 16/10/2017       Commercial Court 28/11/2017   16/05/2009     20/05/2009     04/06/2009     16/06/2009     16/06/2009     18/06/2009     19/06/2009     02/07/2009     02/07/2009     02/07/2009     22/07/2009     11/09/2009     16/09/2009     15/10/2009     09/11/2009     28/11/2009     02/12/2009     02/12/2009     24/12/2009   17/03/2010     07/04/2010     07/04/2010     10/04/2010     12/04/2010     12/04/2010     12/04/2010     12/04/2010     12/04/2010     12/04/2010     14/04/2010     12/05/2010   15/05/2010     17/05/2010     17/05/2010     27/05/2010     07/09/2010     08/03/2011     01/04/2011     23/06/2011     16/10/2017     12/05/2010     16/10/2017         28/11/2017   pending more than 15 years and 18 days     pending more than 15 years and 14 days     pending more than 15 years     pending more than 14 years, 11 months and 18 days     pending more than 14 years, 11 months and 18 days     pending more than 14 years, 11 months and 16 days     pending more than 14 years, 11 months and 15 days     pending more than 14 years, 11 months and 1 day     pending more than 14 years, 11 months and 1 day     pending more than 14 years, 11 months and 1 day     pending more than 14 years, 10 months and 12 days     pending more than 14 years, 8 months and 23 days     pending more than 14 years, 8 months and 18 days     pending more than 14 years, 7 months and 19 days     pending more than 14 years, 6 months and 25 days     pending more than 14 years, 6 months and 6 days     pending more than 14 years, 6 months and 1 day     pending more than 14 years, 6 months and 1 day     pending more than 14 years, 5 months and 10 days   pending more than 14 years, 2 months and 17 days     pending more than 14 years, 1 month and 27 days     pending more than 14 years, 1 month and 27 days     pending more than 14 years, 1 month and 24 days     pending more than 14 years, 1 month and 22 days     pending more than 14 years, 1 month and 22 days     pending more than 14 years, 1 month and 22 days     pending more than 14 years, 1 month and 22 days     pending more than 14 years, 1 month and 22 days     pending more than 14 years, 1 month and 22 days     pending more than 14 years, 1 month and 20 days     pending more than 14 years and 22 days   pending more than 14 years and 19 days     pending more than 14 years and 17 days     pending more than 14 years and 17 days     pending more than 14 years and 7 days     pending more than 13 years, 8 months and 27 days     pending more than 13 years, 2 months and 26 days     pending more than 13 years, 2 months and 2 days     pending more than 12 years, 10 months and 11 days     pending more than 6 years, 7 months and 18 days     pending more than 14 years and 22 days     pending more than 6 years, 7 months and 18 days         pending more than 6 years, 6 months and 6 days         [1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants. [2] Rectified on 17 October 2024: the name of Mr Marko Ivanović was removed from the table.