AIELLO AND OTHERS v. ITALY

 
FIRST SECTION
DECISION
Application no. 20035/07
Giuseppa AIELLO and Others
against Italy
 
The European Court of Human Rights (First Section), sitting on 16 May 2019 as a Committee composed of:
Aleš Pejchal, President,
Jovan Ilievski,
Gilberto Felici, judges,
and Liv Tigerstedt, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,
Having regard to the above application lodged on 4 May 2007,
Having regard to the declaration submitted by the respondent Government requesting the Court to strike the application out of the list of cases,
Having deliberated, decides as follows:
FACTS AND PROCEDURE
The list of applicants is set out in the appended tables.
The applicants were represented by Mr Giuseppe Ferraro, a lawyer practising in Naples.
The applicants’ complaint under Article 6 of the Convention concerning the legislative interference pending judicial proceedings in Italy in respect of all the applicants listed in the appendices was communicated to the Italian Government (“the Government”).
THE LAW
The Government informed the Court that they proposed to make a unilateral declaration with a view to resolving the issues raised by this complaint with respect to the applicants listed in Appendix I. They further requested the Court to strike out the application in accordance with Article 37 of the Convention.
The Government acknowledged the legislative interference pending judicial proceedings in respect of the applicants listed in Appendix I. They offered to pay these applicants the amounts detailed in Appendix I and invited the Court to strike the application out of the list of cases in accordance with Article 37 § 1 (c) of the Convention. The amounts would be payable within three months from the date of notification of the Court’s decision. In the event of failure to pay these amounts within the above-mentioned three-month period, the Government undertook to pay simple interest on them, from the expiry of that period until settlement, at a rate equal to the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank during the default period plus three percentage points.
The payment will constitute the final resolution of the case with respect to the applicants listed in Appendix I.
The applicants listed in Appendix I were sent the terms of the Government’s unilateral declaration on 25 October 2017. The Court has received a response from the applicants’ representative refusing the terms of the declaration.
The Court observes that Article 37 § 1 (c) enables it to strike a case out of its list if:
“... for any other reason established by the Court, it is no longer justified to continue the examination of the application”.
Thus, it may strike out applications under Article 37 § 1 (c) on the basis of a unilateral declaration by a respondent Government even if the applicants wish the examination of the case to be continued (see, in particular, Tahsin Acar v. Turkey (preliminary objections) [GC], no. 26307/95, §§ 75‑77, ECHR 2003-VI).
The Court has established clear and extensive case-law concerning complaints relating to the legislative interference pending judicial proceedings in Italy (see, for example, Arras and Others v. Italy, no. 17972/07, 14 February 2012; Natale and Others v. Italy, no. 19264/07, 15 October 2013; and Casacchia and Others v. Italy, nos. 23658/07 and 2 others, 15 October 2013).
Noting the admissions contained in the Government’s declaration as well as the amounts of compensation proposed – which are consistent with the amounts awarded in similar cases – the Court considers that it is no longer justified to continue the examination of the application with respect to the applicants listed in Appendix I (Article 37 § 1 (c)).
In the light of the above considerations, the Court is satisfied that respect for human rights as defined in the Convention and the Protocols thereto does not require it to continue the examination of the application with respect to the applicants listed in Appendix I (Article 37 § 1 in fine).
Furthermore, the Court emphasises that, should the Government fail to comply with the terms of their unilateral declaration, the application may be restored to the list in accordance with Article 37 § 2 of the Convention (Josipović v. Serbia (dec.), no. 18369/07, 4 March 2008).
As regards the applicants listed in Appendix II, the Court notes that they have died and that no heirs have come forward.
Accordingly, the Court considers that it is no longer justified to continue the examination of the application with respect to these applicants (Article 37 § 1 (c)).
In view of the above, it is appropriate to strike the case out of the list as regards the applicants concerned by the unilateral declaration as well as the deceased applicants (see Appendices I and II).
As regards the applicants listed in Appendix III, the Court notes that they did not provide the information requested when the case was communicated to demonstrate their victim status for the purposes of this complaint under the Convention.
Having regard to its findings, the Court considers that, in the light of all the material in its possession and in so far as the matters complained of are within its competence, this complaint does not meet the admissibility criteria set out in Articles 34 and 35 of the Convention.
It follows that this part of the application must be rejected in accordance with Article 35 § 4 of the Convention.
For these reasons, the Court, unanimously,
Takes note of the terms of the respondent Government’s declaration in so far as they concern the applicants listed in Appendix I, and of the arrangements for ensuring compliance with the undertakings referred to therein;
Decides to strike the application out of its list of cases in accordance with Article 37 § 1 (c) of the Convention with respect to the applicants listed in Appendices I and II;
Declares the application inadmissible as regards the applicants listed in Appendix III.
Done in English and notified in writing on 6 June 2019.
Liv TigerstedtAleš Pejchal
Acting Deputy RegistrarPresident
 

Application no.
Date of introduction
Applicant’s name
Date of birth
 
Date of receipt of Government’s declaration
Date of receipt of applicant’s comments, if any
Amount awarded for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage per applicant
or household
(in euros)[1]
Amount awarded for costs and expenses per application
(in euros)[2]
20035/07
04/05/2007
 
Luisa ANSELMO
09/07/1927
 
Tommaso BASTI
24/03/1923
 
Osvaldo BATTIMIELLO
06/11/1925
 
Romano BERGAMI
10/06/1936
 
Luigi BIANCO
24/09/1934
 
Sandra BOLDRER
17/03/1954
 
Maria BONICA
23/09/1924
Sergio BUTTÀ
21/02/1939
 
Renza CALLIARI
17/08/1955
 
Assunta CANTONE
08/09/1922
 
Antonio CARACCIOLO
29/01/1917
 
Antonietta CASAZZA
20/10/1928
 
Nicola CASCIELLO
13/10/1937
 
Rocco CASONE
22/03/1932
 
Wanda CATALINI
16/03/1947
 
Igino CATANZARITI
31/05/1938
 
Elisabetta CERESA
21/09/1946
 
Malio CHIARIELLO
06/07/1942
 
Antonio Donatello CHINICO’
22/10/1948
 
Caterina CINO
01/03/1948
 
Giuseppe COMPAGNONE
04/11/1931
 
Caterina COSCIA
28/11/1925
 
Eleonora COSENTINO
20/12/1952
 
Mario D’ALIA
25/07/1936
 
Aida D’APUZZO
09/04/1936
 
Maria DE FINA
07/04/1951
 
Bruno DE GREGORIIS
05/06/1926
 
Antonino DE GREGORIO
27/09/1939
 
Giovanna DE JATTA
20/07/1948
 
Ciro DE LUCA
07/04/1938
 
Carmela DE STEFANO
04/03/1947
 
Remo DI GIOVANNI
21/08/1922
 
Pasquale DI RAIMONDO
15/04/1935
 
 
Gustavo DI RUGGIERO
14/03/1940
Olmitella DI TARANTO
01/01/1932
 
Vittorio ELLERO
18/01/1938
 
Rosa ESPOSITO
04/11/1933
 
Mattia FAIELLA
06/02/1939
 
Silvia FILIPPI
15/08/1943
 
Angelo GALIMBERTI
01/11/1930
 
Giuseppe GAMBINO
18/11/1935
 
Diana Lucia GIANCANE
09/03/1944
 
Heirs of Giorgio BUONERBA
(died on 04/05/2008)
Pia Boy
08/03/1921
Carla Buonerba
03/02/1949
Maurizio Antonio Buonerba
09/07/1958
 
Heirs of Guido CALDARAZZO
(died on 14/07/2008)
Fabrizio Caldarazzo
26/06/1978
Maria Roccocelli
12/01/1933
 
Heirs of Luigi CARBONE
(died on 15/05/2009)
Alfonso Carbone 03/09/1938
Giorgio Carbone 29/07/1946
Lucio Carbone 02/03/1940
Paolo Carbone 22/07/1943
25/10/2017
30/01/2018
10,600
 
 
 
4,300
 
 
 
4,000
 
 
 
7,800
 
 
 
8,100
 
 
 
4,300
 
 
10,600
 
6,200
 
 
 
4,200
 
 
 
4,400
 
 
9,100
 
 
 
8,100
 
 
 
8,600
 
 
 
6,300
 
 
 
4,300
 
 
 
4,900
 
 
4,300
 
 
 
5,000
 
 
 
5,000
 
 
 
4,300
 
 
6,900
 
 
 
8,000
 
 
 
4,800
 
 
 
6,300
 
 
 
6,200
 
 
4,300
 
 
 
8,100
 
 
 
7,000
 
 
 
4,300
 
 
 
5,200
 
 
 
5,500
 
 
 
6,200
 
 
7,700
 
 
 
 
5,800
 
8,300
 
 
 
6,100
 
 
 
6,300
 
 
 
4,800
 
 
 
6,400
 
 
10,700
 
 
 
4,900
 
 
 
4,300
 
 
 
7,200 jointly to the heirs
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7,000 jointly to the heirs
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10,200 jointly to the heirs
 
200

 
NameDate of birth – date of demise
 Giuseppa AIELLO05/08/1928 - 25/12/2008Paolo BOMBARDI10/08/1939 - 05/11/2014Franco BOLOGNA15/03/1920 - 25/06/2012Livio CALCINAI21/11/1920 - 21/07/2012Angelo CESARI10/01/1919 - 03/05/2011Rosa CIAMPITTI14/03/1922 - 31/05/2010Anna CIBELLI14/09/1920 - 28/04/2008Eduardo DE STASIO08/09/1935 - 08/01/2009Vincenzo DEL GRIPPO20/03/1931 - 01/01/2014Giancarlo DI IORIO04/09/1940 - 17/11/2006Mafalda GALANTE04/12/1922 - 16/06/2011
 


APPENDIX III
 
NameDate of birth
      Maria Rosara AVETA03/02/1935     Maria Antonietta BATTAGLINI09/04/1937     Marisa BOSI17/02/1932     Angela BOTTA01/03/1938     Massimo BRANDIGI08/05/1947     Stefano BRANDIGI09/01/1952     Cabiria BRANDIMARTE21/02/1921     Carlo CIAMARONE18/06/1954     Paolo CIAMARONE12/09/1950  Antonella COSTA14/05/1963  Giuseppe COSTA29/03/1958  Pierluigi COSTA02/09/1964  Maria DE ROSE10/12/1959  Ottavio DE ROSE08/08/1964  Carmine DI GIGLIO27/01/1967  Margherita DI GIGLIO10/11/1959  Rosanna DI GIGLIO23/03/1964  Claudio DI NOIA17/05/1949  Maria Donata DI NOIA06/03/1955  Massimo DI NOIA12/02/1948  Raffaele DI NOIA22/04/1952  Giorgia FALANGA19/01/1963  Maria Grazia FENU27/03/1939  Carlo GABRIELE12/11/1962  Olimpia GABRIELE25/08/1961  Rossana LANDI01/01/1932  Amalia TAVEGGIA10/04/1919
 
[1].  Plus any tax that may be chargeable.
[2].  Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.

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