5.  The applicant was born in 1949 and lives in Portorož. 6.  In 1984 the applicant was injured in a car accident caused by an employee of a company TOP Portorož, subsequently renamed Clothes Cleaning Company Lucija (“the Lucija”). Allegedly since the accident, the applicant has suffered from a mental illness. 7.  On 15 April 1988 the applicant instituted civil proceedings against the Lucija in the Koper Basic Court (Temeljno sodišče v Kopru) seeking damages for the injuries sustained. 8.  On 28 June 1994 the Convention entered into force with respect to Slovenia. By then, the court had scheduled four hearings. At least two of them were adjourned due to the applicant. 9.  Subsequently, the hearing held on 7 July 1994 was adjourned until 15 July 1994 due to the parties' attempt to reach an out-of-court settlement. Since no settlement had been reached, the court held a hearing on 15 July 1994 and appointed a medical expert to determine the extent to which the applicant's illness had resulted from the injuries sustained in the accident. 10.  On 24 October 1994 the expert informed the court that the applicant had refused the examination. 11.  The hearing scheduled for 25 November 1994 was cancelled at the applicant's request. 12.  Further to the reform of the judicial system in Slovenia, the renamed Koper District Court (Okrožno sodišče v Kopru) held a hearing on 25 September 1995. The hearing, as it appears from the minutes, was adjourned due to the applicant's husband's continuous disturbance of the proceedings. 13.  On 27 September 1995 the applicant requested the judge to stand down. On 28 November 1995 the request was rejected as manifestly ill-founded by the President of the Koper District Court. 14.  The hearing scheduled for 22 December 1995 was adjourned until 22 January 1996 at the applicant's request. 15.  On 10 January 1996 the applicant lodged an application with the Supreme Court (Vrhovno sodišče) complaining that the Koper District Court had been conducting the proceedings unlawfully. On 15 January 1996 the applicant was advised by the Koper District Court to appoint an advocate to represent her instead of her husband. Subsequently, on 18 January 1996, the applicant's husband informed that court that the applicant would not attend further hearings until her application was examined by the Supreme Court. On 15 April 1996 the Supreme Court, treating the application as a request for withdrawal of the judge, sent it to the Koper District Court. On 17 June 1996 the request was rejected as manifestly ill-founded by the President of that court. 16.  Meanwhile, on 22 January 1996 the Koper District Court held a hearing. Since none of the parties appeared at the hearing, the court stayed the proceedings (mirovanje postopka). The court tried several times to serve the decision on the applicant by regular mail, which was returned stamped with a comment “away”, and through the court process server. On 10 April 1997 the decision was finally served on the applicant. 17.  On 10 June 1997 the applicant's request to resume the proceedings was upheld by the court. The Lucija lodged an appeal, a copy of which was, after at least two unsuccessful attempts, served on the applicant on 25 August 1997. On 23 December 1997 the Koper Higher Court (Višje sodišče v Kopru) rejected the appeal. The decision was served on the applicant on 29 January 1998. 18.  On 9 February 1998 the court held a hearing and decided to appoint a new medical expert. 19.  On 14 February and 26 February 1998 the applicant lodged two preliminary written submissions. 20.  On 16 June 1998 the expert submitted his report. 21.  On 28 July 1998 the court issued a decision concerning the expert fees. Further to the applicant's appeal, the Koper Higher Court quashed the decision and on 21 June 1999 the Koper District Court issued a new decision. 22.  On 28 September 1999 the applicant, for the first time represented by a lawyer, lodged preliminary written submissions whereby she modified and extended her claim. 23.  The hearings scheduled for 19 October 1999 and 18 October 2000 were called off, the former due to the assignment of the sitting judge to the Higher Court and the latter at the applicant's request. 24.  In the meantime, on 28 October 1999, the court received information regarding the applicant's situation from the Pension and Disability Insurance Institute of Slovenia (Zavod za pokojninsko in invalidsko zavarovanje Slovenije). 25.  The hearing held on 8 December 2000 was adjourned until 17 January 2001 due to the applicant's proposal to reach an out-of-court settlement in the case. The settlement has apparently not been reached. 26.  On 3 January 2001 the applicant requested that her husband be invited to hearings. 27.  On 8 January 2001 the applicant filed preliminary written submissions. 28.  On 17 January 2001 a hearing was held. 29.  On 29 January 2001 the applicant informed the court that she had cancelled the power of attorney to her lawyer. In addition, she requested the judge to stand down. On 1 February 2001 the request was refused as unfounded by the President of the Koper District Court. 30.  Of the five hearings scheduled between 16 March 2001 and 16 November 2001 two were called off at the applicant's request and two because the notice inviting the applicant or her husband to a hearing could not be served on them. 31.  On 13 December 2001 the court held a hearing but none of the parties appeared despite being invited. Consequently, the court decided to stay the proceedings. 32.  On 18 December 2001 the Lucija appealed, claiming that the proceeding should be terminated. A copy of the appeal was served on the applicant on 24 January 2002. 33.  On 3 September 2003 the Koper Higher Court quashed the first-instance decision and remitted the case for re-examination. 34.  On 18 September 2003 the Koper District Court issued a new decision terminating the proceedings (ustavitev postopka – see paragraphs 37 and 38 below). The decision became final on 7 November 2003.