PROCRASTINATION in court cases is cited most frequently by Slovaks in their complaints about the state to the European Court for Human Rights (ECHR). The state very often loses these cases, according to the 2009 report by the Slovak representative at the ECHR, Marica Pirošíková, the SITA newswire reported.
In 2009 the ECHR ruled that there had been violations of some of the articles of the Convention on Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in 38 cases concerning Slovakia, 29 of which concerned the right to a fair and public hearing within a reasonable time.
The ECHR announced 42 new complaints to the government in 2009, most of them concerning the right to a fair trial in connection with the inappropriate length of court proceedings.
The European Council Committee of Ministers is continuing to require that Slovakia produce statistics about the length of court proceedings, as well as information about the measures the state has taken to prevent delays.
The committee said it would continue to observe Slovakia’s behaviour until the state shows considerable progress in removing the causes of procrastination.
