ZAGREB, July 20 (Hina) - Croatia has paid its citizens a million kuna (approximately 133,333 euros) in damages after the European Human Rights Court and the Croatian Constitutional Court decided that legal proceedings before Croatian
courts were "unreasonably long", according to the government office for cooperation with the European court. The European Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg has ordered that about 110,000 euros and the Constitutional Court 200,000 kuna (approx. 26,666 euros) be paid to plaintiffs whose human rights were violated by the conduct of Croatian courts. Croatian citizens have been able to seek protection of their rights in Strasbourg since late 1997 when Croatia was admitted to the Council of Europe as a full member. The European court has received 16 complaints since and has awarded damages to the complaining parties. Damages did not exceed 10,000 euros per case because the
ZAGREB, July 20 (Hina) - Croatia has paid its citizens a million
kuna (approximately 133,333 euros) in damages after the European
Human Rights Court and the Croatian Constitutional Court decided
that legal proceedings before Croatian courts were "unreasonably
long", according to the government office for cooperation with the
European court.
The European Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg has ordered that
about 110,000 euros and the Constitutional Court 200,000 kuna
(approx. 26,666 euros) be paid to plaintiffs whose human rights
were violated by the conduct of Croatian courts.
Croatian citizens have been able to seek protection of their rights
in Strasbourg since late 1997 when Croatia was admitted to the
Council of Europe as a full member. The European court has received
16 complaints since and has awarded damages to the complaining
parties.
Damages did not exceed 10,000 euros per case because the court
upheld only complaints of unreasonably lengthy proceedings, which
envisages compensation for non-material damage.
The government office believes that damages may be much higher if
the Strasbourg court starts dealing with the substance of disputes
and orders compensation for the actual material damage.
The number of this kind of complaints filed with the Croatian
Constitutional Court has increased since March 2002. A total of 910
claims have been lodged, 389 of which were rejected. Thirty-five
claims were upheld and courts were ordered to close the proceedings
within six months. Damages ranging from 1,500 (approx. 200 euros)
to 30,000 kuna (approx. 4,000 euros) have been awarded in 32 cases.
(hina) vm