61394/14;72599/14;51117/15;51118/15;39912/16;25996/17

FOURTH SECTION             CASE OF KVACSKAY AND OTHERS v. HUNGARY   (Application no. 61394/14 and 5 others - see appended list)                             JUDGMENT         STRASBOURG   17 January 2019       This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision. In the case of Kvacskay and Others v. Hungary, The European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section), sitting as a Committee composed of:  Georges Ravarani, President,  Marko Bošnjak,  Péter Paczolay, judges, and Liv Tigerstedt Acting Deputy Section Registrar, Having deliberated in private on 13 December 2018, Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date: PROCEDURE 1.  The case originated in applications against Hungary lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) on the various dates indicated in the appended table. 2.  Notice of the applications was given to the Hungarian Government (“the Government”). THE FACTS 3.  The list of applicants, their representatives and the relevant details of the applications are set out in the appended table. 4.  The applicants complained of the excessive length of criminal proceedings. In application no. 61394/14 the applicant also raised another complaint under Article 13 of the Convention. THE LAW I.  JOINDER OF THE APPLICATIONS 5.  Having regard to the similar subject matter of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single judgment. II.  ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 6 § 1 OF THE CONVENTION 6.  The applicants complained principally that the length of the criminal 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 ... any criminal charge against him, 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, among many other authorities, Pélissier and Sassi v. France [GC], no. 25444/94, § 67, ECHR 1999‑II, and Frydlender v. France [GC], no. 30979/96, § 43, ECHR 2000‑VII). 8.  In the leading case of Barta and Drajkó v. Hungary, no. 35729/12, 17 December 2013, 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 persuading it to reach a different conclusion as to the admissibility and merits of these complaints. 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. III.  OTHER ALLEGED VIOLATIONS UNDER WELL-ESTABLISHED CASE-LAW 11.  In application no. 61394/14, the applicant submitted a complaint under Article 13 of the Convention which also raised issues, given the relevant well-established case-law of the Court (see appended table). This complaint is not manifestly ill-founded within the meaning of Article 35 § 3 (a) of the Convention, nor is it inadmissible on any other ground. Accordingly, it must be declared admissible. Having examined all the material before it, the Court concludes that it also discloses a violation of the Convention in the light of its findings in Barta and Drajkó v. Hungary,(cited above § 26). IV.  APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 41 OF THE CONVENTION 12.  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.” 13.  Regard being had to the documents in its possession and to its case‑law, the Court finds it reasonable to award the sums indicated in the appended table. 14.  The Court considers it appropriate that the default interest rate should be based on the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank, to which should be added three percentage points. FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT, UNANIMOUSLY, 1.  Decides to join the applications;   2.  Declares the applications admissible;   3.  Holds that these applications disclose a breach of Article 6 § 1 of the Convention concerning the excessive length of criminal proceedings;   4.  Holds that there has been a violation of the Convention as regards the other complaint raised under well-established case-law of the Court (see appended table);   5.  Holds (a)  that the respondent State is to pay the applicants, within three months, the amounts 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 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 17 January 2019, pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.  Liv Tigerstedt Georges Ravarani Acting Deputy Registrar President APPENDIX List of applications raising complaints under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention (excessive length of criminal proceedings) No. Application no. Date of introduction Applicant’s name Date of birth   Representative’s name and location Start of proceedings End of proceedings Total length Levels of jurisdiction Other complaints under well-established case-law Amount awarded for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage and costs and expenses per applicant (in euros) [1]     61394/14 16/01/2015 Károly Kvacskay 16/05/1964     18/08/2009   26/06/2014   4 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 9 day(s) 2 level(s) of jurisdiction   Art. 13 - lack of any effective remedy in domestic law - 2,000     72599/14 30/10/2014 Tibor János Madzin 05/07/1967 Fazekas Tamás Budapest 28/04/2008   30/04/2014   6 year(s) and 3 day(s) 2 level(s) of jurisdiction     2,500     51117/15 06/10/2015 Attila Danyi 14/02/1970 Hatlaczki Gyula Nagykáta 17/12/2008   14/05/2015   6 year(s) and 4 month(s) and 28 day(s) 1 level(s) of jurisdiction     2,100     51118/15 06/10/2015 Gyöngyi Gazsovits 25/06/1974 Hatlaczki Gyula Nagykáta 17/12/2008   14/05/2015   6 year(s) and 4 month(s) and 28 day(s) 1 level(s) of jurisdiction     2,100     39912/16 04/07/2016 Ákos Hegedűs 28/03/1981 Retteghy István Budapest 04/04/2013   11/05/2016   3 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 8 day(s) 1 level(s) of jurisdiction     1,500     25996/17 29/03/2017 Péter József Nagy 07/10/1963 Timár Csaba Pécs 18/06/2012   29/09/2016   4 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 12 day(s) 2 level(s) of jurisdiction     1,300   [1].  Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.