BOLJEVIC AND OTHERS v. MONTENEGRO - 21609/20 (Article 6 - Right to a fair trial : First Section Committee) [2024] ECHR 374 (25 April 2024)

BAILII [Home] [Databases] [World Law] [Multidatabase Search] [Help] [Feedback]

European Court of Human Rights


You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> European Court of Human Rights >> BOLJEVIC AND OTHERS v. MONTENEGRO - 21609/20 (Article 6 - Right to a fair trial : First Section Committee) [2024] ECHR 374 (25 April 2024)
URL: http://www.bailii.org/eu/cases/ECHR/2024/374.html
Cite as: [2024] ECHR 374

[New search] [Contents list] [Help]


 

 

 

FIRST SECTION

CASE OF BOLJEVIĆ AND OTHERS v. MONTENEGRO

(Application no. 21609/20)

 

 

 

 

 

 

JUDGMENT

 

STRASBOURG

25 April 2024

 

 

This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision.

 


In the case of Boljević and Others v. Montenegro,

The European Court of Human Rights (First Section), sitting as a Committee composed of:

 Péter Paczolay, President,
 Gilberto Felici,
 Raffaele Sabato, judges,

and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,

Having deliberated in private on 4 April 2024,

Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date:

PROCEDURE


1.  The case originated in an application against Montenegro lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms ("the Convention") on 10 April 2020.


2.  The applicants were represented by Mr B. Ćupić, a lawyer practising in Podgorica.


3.  The Montenegrin Government ("the Government") were given notice of the application.

THE FACTS


4.  The applicants' details and information relevant to the application are set out in the appended table.


5.  The applicants complained of the non-enforcement of domestic decisions given against socially/State-owned companies.

6.  On 18 July 2019 the Constitutional Court found a violation of the applicants' rights under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention on account of non-enforcement. The applicants were awarded 2,000 euros (EUR) each in non-pecuniary damage. However, the domestic decisions under consideration remain unenforced until the present day.

THE LAW

  1. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 6 § 1 OF THE CONVENTION AND OF ARTICLE 1 OF PROTOCOL No. 1


7.  The applicants complained principally of the non-enforcement of domestic decisions given in their favour. They relied on Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and on Article 1 of Protocol No. 
1.


8.  The Court reiterates that the execution of a judgment given by any court must be regarded as an integral part of a "hearing" for the purposes of Article 6. It also refers to its case-law concerning the non-enforcement or delayed enforcement of final domestic judgments (see Hornsby v. Greece, no. 18357/91, § 40, Reports of Judgments and Decisions 1997-II).


9.  The Court further notes that the decisions in the present case ordered specific action to be taken. The Court therefore considers that the decisions in question constitute "possessions" within the meaning of Article 1 of Protocol No. 
1.


10.  In the leading cases of R. Kačapor and Others v. Serbia (nos. 2269/06 and 5 others, §§ 97-99, 106-16 and 119-20, 15 January 2008), and Mijanović v. Montenegro (no. 19580/06, §§ 81-91, 17 September 2013), the Court already found a violation in respect of issues similar to those in the present case.


11.  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 on 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 authorities did not deploy all necessary efforts to enforce fully and in due time the decisions in the applicants' favour.


12.  These complaints are therefore admissible and disclose a breach of Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 
1.

  1. APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 41 OF THE CONVENTION


13.  Regard being had to the documents in its possession and its own case-law (see, in particular, R. Kačapor and Others, cited above, §§ 123-26; Stošić v. Serbia, no. 64931/10, §§ 66-68, 1 October 2013; and Mastilović and Others v. Montenegro, no. 28754/10, § 52, 24 February 2022) the Court considers it reasonable not to award the applicants compensation in respect of non-pecuniary damage because it has already been awarded domestically (see paragraph 6 above), but to award the sum for costs and expenses indicated in the appended table.


14.  The Court further notes that the respondent State has an outstanding obligation to enforce the domestic decisions which remain enforceable.

FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT, UNANIMOUSLY,

  1. Declares the application admissible;
  2. Holds that this application discloses a breach of Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 concerning the non-enforcement of domestic decisions given against socially/State-owned companies;
  3. Holds that the respondent State shall ensure, by appropriate means, within three months, the enforcement of the pending domestic decisions referred to in the appended table;
  4. Holds

(a)  that the respondent State is to pay the applicants, within three months, the amount indicated in the appended table 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 amount 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 25 April 2024, pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.

 

 Viktoriya Maradudina Péter Paczolay

 Acting Deputy Registrar President

 

 

 


APPENDIX

Application raising complaints under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1

(non-enforcement or delayed enforcement of domestic decisions given against socially/State-owned companies)

Application no.

Date of introduction

Applicant's name

Year of birth

 

Representative's name and location

Relevant domestic decision

Start date of non-enforcement period

End date of non-enforcement period

Length of enforcement proceedings

Amount awarded for costs and expenses per application

(in euros)[1]

21609/20

10/04/2020

(66 applicants)

Goran BOLJEVIĆ

1961

Tatjana BOLJEVIĆ

1969

Slobodan ŠOĆ

1949

Veselin MARTINOVIĆ

1946

Slavica BULATOVIĆ

1955

Đina JANINOVIĆ

1963

Đon IVEZIĆ

1942

Dragoljub VUKČEVIĆ

1962

Ana IVANOVIĆ

1998

Bajram KOĆIĆ

1941

Rajko RADULOVIĆ

1953

Goran RADONJIĆ

1963

Žarko MADŽAROVIĆ

1949

Radmila LAKOVIĆ

1967

Zdravko ČAĐENOVIĆ

1957

Željko ĐUKANOVIĆ

1962

Nataša DRAGOJEVIĆ

1946

Simuna MATKOVIĆ

1946

Savo GLOBAREVIĆ

1941

Milenko JOVANOVIĆ

1949

Ibrahim TUZOVIĆ

1948

Slobodan SEKULOVIĆ

1949

Boško POPOVIĆ

1950

Miodrag PRELEVIĆ

1950

Biserka ZLATIČANIN

1949

Dragan STAMATOVIĆ

1957

Ilija PEŠIĆ

1952

Radovan MILAŠEVIĆ

1953

Goran PEJOVIĆ

1972

 

Radovan ŠĆEKIĆ

1950

Luka PEROVIĆ

1984

Danilo MILIĆ

1942

Zorka MARKOVIĆ

1982

Žikica GARČEVIĆ

1962

Duško BUŠKULIĆ

1958

Stanica STANIŠIĆ

1963

Veselinka BOJANIĆ

1954

Zorica RADOJEVIĆ

1964

Slavka PETROVIĆ

1958

Tomislav ŠIŠEVIĆ

1951

Milenka RADULOVIĆ

1952

Spasoje GRBA

1951

Tatjana RAČIĆ

1971

Milan MARKOVIĆ

1949

Radmila ĐURIŠIĆ

1953

Sanja LEKOVIĆ

1954

 

Goran KALEZIĆ

1961

Miodrag ŠĆEPANOVIĆ

1950

Veljko RADUNOVIĆ

1954

Ilinka MILIĆ

1952

Lazar LAZAREVIĆ

1970

Slavica ŠUNDIĆ

1949

Milan RADULOVIĆ

1981

Cvetko MARAŠ

1949

Miljan KLJALJIĆ

1940

Veselin ĐUROVIĆ

1964

Slavica VUČUROVIĆ

1955

Jagoš OBRADOVIĆ

1950

Sava MARJANOVIĆ

1958

Nika LJULJĐUROVIĆ

1970

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Household

Nikola MIRKOVIĆ

1982

Danka POPOVIĆ

1979

Danilo MIRKOVIĆ

1977

 

Household

Nevenka MILIČKOVIĆ

1971

Nada POTPARA

1957

Željko DŽOGAZOVIĆ

1944

 

Ćupić Branislav

Podgorica

Court of First Instance Podgorica (applicants Pešić, Radulović Milenka, Matković, Milić I., Bulatović, Janinović, Leković, Dragojević, Džogazović, Potpara and Miličković, Zlatičanin, Kljajić, Madžarović, Šoć, Jovanović, Marjanović, Globarević, Lazarević, Bojanić, Garčević, Buškulić, Radojević, and Radulović Milan),

03/07/2009

 

 

Court of First Instance Podgorica (applicants Martinović, Čađenović, Vukčević, Maraš, Radunović, Marković M., Tuzović, Radonjić, Ivezić, Radulović R., Boljević T.),

10/09/2009

 

 

Court of First Instance Podgorica (applicants Sekulović, Šćekić, Popović, Grba, Đurišić, and Marković Z.),

15/07/2009

Court of First Instance Podgorica (applicant Djukanovic),

10/09/2009

 

 

Court of First Instance Podgorica (applicant Kalezić),

04/12/2009

 

 

Court of First Instance

(applicant Obradović),

27/01/2010

 

 

Court of First Instance

(applicants Petrović, Boljević G., and Laković),

27/01/2010

 

 

Court of First Instance

(applicant Šundić),

18/12/2009

 

 

Court of First Instance

(applicants Ivanović A., Šišević, and Đurović),

22/02/2010

 

 

 

 

 

Court of First Instance

(applicants Prelević, Vučurović, Pejović, Šćepanović, and Mirković N, Mirković N, and Popović D.),

16/11/2009

 

 

Court of First Instance Podgorica (applicant Obradović),

07/10/2010

 

 

Court of First Instance

(applicants Pešić, Radulović M., Matković, Milić I., Janinović, Leković, Dragojević, Džogazović, Potpara and Miličković, Kljajić, Madžarović, Šoć, Jovanović M., Marjanović, Globarević, Lazarević, Bojanić, Garčević, Buškulić, Radojević, Martinović, Čađenović, Vukčević, Maraš, Radunović, Marković M., Tuzović, Radonjić, Ivezić, Radulović R., Boljević T., Sekulović, Šćekić, Popović, Grba, Đurišić, Marković Z., Obradovic, Radulović M., Zlatičanin, Stanišić, Perović, Koćić, Račić, and Stamatović),

07/10/2010

 

 

Court of First Instance Podgorica (applicant Boljević G.),

06/12/2012

 

 

Court of First Instance Podgorica (applicants Pešić, Radulović M., Matković, Milić I., Janinović, Leković, Dragojević, Džogazović, Potpara and Miličković, Kljajić, Madžarević, Šoć, Jovanović M., Marjanović, Globarević, Lazarević, Bojanić, Garčević, Buškulić, Radojević, Martinović, Čađenović, Vukčević, Maraš, Radunović, Marković M., Tuzović, Radonjić, Ivezić, Radulović R., Boljević T., Sekulović, Šćekić, Grba, Đurišić, Marković Z., Obradović, Radulović M., Zlatičanin, Stanišić, Koćić, Račić, Stamatović, Milić D., Milašević, Prelević, Vučurović, Pejović, Šćepanović, Mirković N., Mirković N., and Popović D., Kalezić, Đukanović, Šundić, Petrović, Boljević G., and Laković), 11/07/2014

 

 

Court of First Instance Podgorica (applicant Laković),

06/12/2012

 

 

Court of First Instance Podgorica (applicants Pešić, Radulović Milenka, Matković, Milić I., Janinović, Leković, Madžarović, Šoć, Jovanović M., Marjanović, Globarević, Lazarević, Bojanić, Garčević, Buškulić, Radojević, Martinović, Čađenović, Vukčević, Maraš, Radunović, Marković M., Tuzović, Radonjić, Ivezić, Radulović R., Boljević T., Sekulović, Šćekić, Popović, Grba, Đurišić, Marković Z., Obradović, Radulović M., Zlatičanin, Stanišić, Perović, Račić, Stamatović, Radulović Milan, Koćić, Milić D., Prelević, Vučurović, Pejović, Mirković N., Mirković D, and Popović D., Kalezić, Đukanović, Šundić, and Petrović S.),

06/12/2012

 

 

Commercial Court of Montenegro

(all the applicants except Ljuljđurović N.), 16/10/2017

 

25/09/2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

22/12/2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

22/12/2009

 

 

 

10/03/2010

 

 

 

 

10/03/2010

 

 

 

 

31/03/2010

 

 

 

 

31/03/2010

 

 

 

 

 

20/05/2010

 

 

 

 

30/06/2010

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

17/09/2010

 

 

 

 

 

 

22/02/2011

 

 

 

 

24/01/2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11/12/2013

 

 

 

 

11/07/2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

27/02/2015

 

 

 

 

31/07/2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

28/11/2017

 

pending

more than 14 years, 5 months and 20 days

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

pending

more than 14 years, 2 months and 23 days

 

 

 

 

 

 

pending

more than 14 years, 2 months and 23 days

 

 

pending

more than 14 years and 6 days

 

 

 

pending

more than 14 years and 6 days

 

 

 

pending

more than 13 years, 11 months and 16 days

 

 

 

pending

more than 13 years, 11 months and 16 days

 

 

 

 

pending

more than 13 years, 9 months and 25 days

 

 

 

pending

more than 13 years, 8 months and 16 days

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

pending

more than 13 years, 5 months and 28 days

 

 

 

 

 

pending

more than 13 years and 23 days

 

 

 

pending

more than 11 years, 1 month and 21 days

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

pending

more than 10 years, 3 months and 5 days

 

 

 

pending

more than 9 years, 8 months and 5 days

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

pending

more than 9 years and 18 days

 

 

 

pending

more than 8 years, 7 months and 16 days

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

pending

more than 6 years, 3 months and 17 days

 

250

 

 


[1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.


BAILII: Copyright Policy | Disclaimers | Privacy Policy | Feedback | Donate to BAILII
URL: http://www.bailii.org/eu/cases/ECHR/2024/374.html