ZAGREB, Oct 16 (Hina) - The European Human Rights Court has for the first time dismissed a complaint by a Croatian citizen who addressed the court due to procrastinated court proceedings at home.
ZAGREB, Oct 16 (Hina) - The European Human Rights Court has for the
first time dismissed a complaint by a Croatian citizen who
addressed the court due to procrastinated court proceedings at
home. #L#
The court dismissed the complaint as inadmissible because the
citizen had failed to file a complaint with the Croatian
Constitutional Court first and exhaust all legal means at home.
"This is an important ruling," said Lidija Lukina Karajakovic, who
represents the Croatian government before the Strasbourg-based
court.
"I expect more such rulings to be made soon," she told Hina.
The decision of the European Human Rights Court is important for two
reasons, the attorney said. First, the court has established that
Croatia has integrated into its legal system an efficient means of
protection of one of the basic human rights - the right to a fair
trial, which includes the passing of a verdict within a reasonable
period of time.
Second, the decision is important as a warning to citizens not to
file complaints with the Strasbourg-based court until they have
exhausted all legal means in their country, she said.
The complaint in question was filed by Cakovec resident Antun
Slavicek, who sued Croatia in early May because the Zagreb
Municipal Court over the past ten years failed to process the three
lawsuits he filed against several companies and individuals who had
not returned him the money he had lent them.
The Human Rights Court noted in its decision that Croatia in March
changed a regulation of the Constitutional Law on the
Constitutional Court binding this Court to rule on complaints filed
due to procrastinated court proceedings. Previously the Court
could but was not obliged to rule on such complaints.
(hina) rml sb