In recent weeks the European Court of Human Rights has dealt with a number of applications concerning the effectiveness of remedies under the Pinto Act which provides for compensation in respect of damage resulting from excessive length of judicial proceedings.

The applications fall into three main categories. The first category concerns cases where no compensation was awarded domestically for excessive length of proceedings or was limited to the value of the underlying claim. The second category of cases concerned the application by the national courts of Article 2, paragraph 2 quinquies, point (a) of the Pinto Act, which excluded payment of compensation for excessive length of proceedings where the claimant had been found liable for abusive litigation under Article 96 of the Code of Civil Procedure. Finally, the third category concerned the effectiveness of the Pinto remedy for excessive length of tax proceedings.

• Press release