Finland has been penalised for the third time this year for allowing a trial to be prolonged excessively.
This time the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) disciplined Finland for allowing the handling of a case in Finnish law courts to continue for over 11 years.
In this particular case a Finnish man residing in the United States tried to retrieve compensation sanctioned by an American court through a Finnish court of law.
The man was due half a million dollars in compensation for a leg injury sustained from a blow by another Finnish man living in Florida.
The assailant in the case died subsequently, before any compensation was paid. The estate of the deceased did not have the money, after which the plaintiff took the case to the Helsinki District Court. The court ruled that there was no connection between the blow and the leg injury.
The Court of Appeal then ruled that a EUR 1,500 compensation be paid from the estate of the deceased. The case never made it to the Supreme Court, as it denied leave to appeal.
According to the ECHR, Finland was in violation of the European Human Rights Treaty, which guarantees citizens the right to a fair trial within a reasonable time.
In addition to the defendant, the plaintiff also died during the long and drawn-out appeal process.
The ECHR ordered Finland to pay the man’s next of kin EUR 9,000 in compensation. The remainder of the applicant's claim for just satisfaction was dismissed.
