Greek woman suffered violation of rights over two-decade-long civil case
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A woman whose claim for unpaid wages took almost two decades to conclude before the Greek courts suffered a violation of her rights, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ruled.
Nikoletta Vervele suffered a violation of Articles 6 § 1 (right to a fair trial) and 13 (right to an effective remedy) of the European Convention on Human Rights, the court unanimously held in a Chamber judgment handed down this week.
The case concerned excessively lengthy civil proceedings which Ms Vervele brought in June 2001 against Ippokrateio General Hospital of Athens, where she had worked as a cleaner, for non-payment of salary.
Her final appeal was dismissed by the Court of Cassation in February 2020 in a judgment which was finalised and became available to her in April 2020.
The proceedings lasted a total of 18 years, nine months and 18 days and included long delays on the part of the authorities.
Even discounting a delay of 11 months which could not be attributed to the authorities, the court held that there was a lack of expedition in how Ms Vervele’s case was treated.
The court held that Greece was to pay the applicant €11,000 in respect of non-pecuniary damage and €240 in respect of costs and expenses.
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