4.  The applicant was born in 1937 and lives in Trnava. 5.  On 15 October 1993 the applicant claimed compensation from a limited liability company on the ground that the latter had failed to comply with a contract. On 12 November 1993 the Zvolen District court delivered a payment order by which it allowed the applicant’s claim. On 29 November 1993 the defendant company challenged the payment order. On 3 December 1993 the applicant challenged the court’s conclusion concerning the costs of the proceedings. 6.  On 8 and 31 March 1994 the applicant and the defendant respectively submitted comments on the other party’s observations. 7.  On 12 May 1994 the applicant extended his action in that he increased the sum claimed. On 8 August 1994 the District Court admitted that the action be extended. As the applicant had failed to pay additional court fees concerning the extended part of his action, the District Court discontinued the proceedings in respect of the additional claims on 27 September 1994. Subsequently the judge left the judiciary and his cases had to be distributed among the other District Court judges. 8.  Following the applicant’s complaint, a hearing was scheduled for 23 June 1995. On that date the case was adjourned as the defendant failed to appear. On 3 and 6 July 1995 the applicant and the defendant submitted further information. 9.  On 24 July 1995 the court heard the defendant. The applicant excused his absence and the case was adjourned. In the course of August 1995 the parties informed the District Court of their position regarding the possibility of settling the case. 10.  On 21 December 1995 the applicant requested that a judgment be delivered. A hearing was scheduled for 4 March 1996. On 1 February 1996 the applicant informed the court that he would not be able to attend and proposed that he be heard, if need be, by the Trnava District Court. 11.  On 4 March 1996 the Zvolen District Court allowed the applicant’s action. On 3 April 1996 the judge dealing with the case asked for an extension of the time-limit for drafting the judgment with reasons. The judgment was sent to the parties on 10 May 1996. 12.  On 28 May 1996 the defendant appealed. On 10 June 1996 the applicant submitted his comments and the case file was transferred to the Banská Bystrica Regional Court on 19 June 1996. 13.  On 9 August 1996, on 27 December 1996 and on 14 May 1997 the applicant requested that the case be proceeded with. On 11 June 1997 the applicant was informed that the judges had a heavy workload. 14.  On 9 September 1998 the Banská Bystrica Regional Court quashed the Zvolen District Court’s judgment of 4 March 1996 and instructed the first instance court to take further evidence. The case-file was returned to the District Court on 9 November 1999. 15.  On 23 November 1998 the applicant informed the District Court, at the latter’s request, which further evidence he proposed to be taken. The applicant also increased the sum claimed by him. The District Court accepted this amendment of the action on 3 May 1999. On 5 May 1999 the District Court decided on court fees in respect of the applicant’s additional claim. The applicant appealed against this decision on 19 May 1999. At the same time he requested that he should be exempted from the obligation to pay court fees as he was indigent. 16.  On 24 May 1999 the District Court adjourned the case as the parties failed to appear. On 2 June 1999 the applicant was requested to substantiate his request for waiver of court fees. 17.  The next hearing was scheduled for 20 October 1999. On 15 October 1999 the applicant excused his absence and asked the court to proceed with the case in his absence. 18.  On 20 October 1999 the case was adjourned until 6 December 1999 as neither the applicant nor the defendant appeared. On the latter date the case was again adjourned. The applicant was requested to complement his request for waiver of court fees. He replied on 17 December and subsequently the court exempted him from the obligation to pay the court fees. 19.  On 9 March 2000 the applicant urged the District Court to proceed with the case. On 27 March 2000 the applicant informed the court that he would not attend the hearing scheduled for 5 April 2000 and asked the District Court to proceed with the case in his absence. On 3 April 2000 the defendant’s lawyer informed the District Court that he no longer represented the defendant. The hearing scheduled for 5 April 2000 was adjourned. 20.  On 10 May 2000 the Zvolen District Court dismissed the applicant’s action. It held that the contract in question was void as it neither specified the sum to be paid for the services offered by the applicant, nor did it stipulate that the parties had agreed to its conclusion without specifying the price, as required by Article 536 of the Commercial Code. The judgment with reason was typed on 17 July 2000 after the President of the District Court had allowed an extension of the statutory time-limit set for this purpose. 21.  On 7 August 2000 the applicant appealed. On 27 September 2000 the President of the District Court assigned the case to a different judge as the judge originally dealing with it had been temporarily transferred to a different court. On 17 October 2000 the applicant was requested to pay the fees in respect of the appellate proceedings. On 20 October 2000 the applicant appealed. The case-file was transferred to the Banská Bystrica Regional Court on 24 November 2000. 22.  On 19 December 2000 the Banská Bystrica Regional Court upheld the first instance judgment of 10 May 2000. By a separate decision delivered on 21 December 2000 it quashed the District Court’s decision on the court fees in respect of the appellate proceedings. 23.  On 20 February 2001 the president of the Zvolen District Court admitted that the overall length of the proceedings had been partly due to inactivity of the court and that the applicant’s complaint in that respect was justified.