The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) delivered a judgment in the case of Koptyelov and Others v. Ukraine, which consolidated eight separate applications concerning excessive length of civil proceedings in Ukraine and lack of effective remedies for such violations.The Court found violations of Article 6 § 1 (right to a fair trial) and Article 13 (right to an effective remedy) of the Convention in all cases. The proceedings in question lasted between 5 years 8 months and 11 years 2 months, which the Court deemed excessive and failing to meet the ‘reasonable time’ requirement.The Court’s analysis was based on established criteria for assessing the reasonableness of proceedings’ length, including case complexity, conduct of parties, and what was at stake for the applicants. Following its previous case-law, particularly Karnaushenko v. Ukraine, the Court found no justification for such lengthy proceedings.Key provisions of the judgment include:
- The Court’s confirmation that Ukraine lacks effective domestic remedies for complaints about lengthy civil proceedings
- Award of compensation ranging from 300 to 4,200 euros per applicant for non-pecuniary damage
- Requirement for Ukraine to pay the awarded amounts within three months, with interest applicable in case of delayed payment
The judgment also addressed additional complaints under Article 3 in application no. 11163/22, which were declared inadmissible. The Court maintained its consistent approach to similar cases, reinforcing the principle that excessive length of proceedings constitutes a violation of the Convention.
