4.  The first applicant was born in 1954, the second applicant in 1971 and the fourth applicant in 1963. The first, second and fourth applicants are judges who live in Kirovograd. The third applicant, a retired judge, was born in 1942 and currently lives in Gayvoron in the Kirovograd region. 5.  In November 2002 the first applicant lodged complaints with the Pechersky District Court of Kyiv (“the Pechersky District Court”) against the Ministry of Finance and the State Treasury, seeking payment of salary arrears, life-term judicial benefits and compensation for delays in their payment. 6.  On 16 December 2002 the district court allowed the applicant's claims. It ordered the Ministry of Finance and the State Treasury to pay the applicant 5,807.26 Ukrainian hryvnas[2] (UAH) in compensation. 7.  On 9 July 2003 the Kyiv City Court of Appeal (“the Court of Appeal”) upheld this judgment and it became final. 8.  On 11 August 2003 the Pechersky District Bailiffs' Service (“the PBS”) decided not to initiate enforcement proceedings in the case and informed the applicant that he should lodge the execution writs with the State Treasury. 9.  On 22 September 2003 the State Treasury declined to enforce the judgment owing to a lack of budgetary funds, and stated that responsibility for enforcement lay with the State Judicial Administration. 10.  On 6 November 2004 the applicant received the sum due to him under the judgment of 16 December 2002 (payment order no. 163). (The enforcement proceedings lasted from July 2003 to November 2004, that is, for about one year and four months.) 11.  In November 2002 the applicant lodged complaints with the Pechersky District Court against the Ministry of Finance and the State Treasury, seeking payment of salary arrears, life-term judicial benefits and compensation for delays in their payment. 12.  On 16 December 2002 the district court allowed the applicant's claims. It ordered the Ministry of Finance and the State Treasury to pay the applicant UAH 10,291.61[3] in compensation. 13.  On 9 July 2003 the Court of Appeal upheld this judgment and it became final. 14.  On 11 August 2003 the PBS decided not to initiate enforcement proceedings in the case and informed the applicant that she should lodge the execution writs with the State Treasury. 15.  On 5 February 2004 the State Treasury returned the writs of execution in respect of the judgment of 16 December 2002, which remained unenforced owing to a lack of funds in the State budget. 16.  On 15 November 2004 the applicant received the sum due to her (payment order no. 173). (The enforcement proceedings lasted from July 2003 to November 2004, that is, for about one year and four months.) 17.  On 22 March 2000 the third applicant retired, following a decision of the Verkhovna Rada to dismiss him. 18.  In November 2001 the applicant lodged complaints with the Pechersky District Court against the Ministry of Finance and the State Treasury, seeking payment of salary arrears, life-term judicial benefits and compensation for delays in their payment. 19.  On 14 January 2002 the Pechersky District Court allowed the applicant's claims. It ordered the Ministry of Finance and the State Treasury to pay the applicant UAH 4,822[4] in compensation. 20.  On 8 May 2002 the Court of Appeal upheld this judgment and it became final. 21.  On 21 May 2003 the State Treasury declined to enforce the judgment owing to a lack of budgetary funds. 22.  On 8 September 2003 the Kyiv City Department of Justice informed the applicant that the judgment could not be enforced owing to a lack of funds in the State budget for such expenditure. 23.  On 8 September 2003 the Deputy Head of the State Judicial Administration informed the applicant that the judicial administration was not liable for payment of debts that had been incurred before it had been established. 24.  On 22 December 2003 the PBS returned the writ of execution to the applicant on the ground that there were no funds in the budget of the State Treasury for the enforcement of such judgments. 25.  On 6 November 2004 the applicant received the sum awarded to him by the judgment of 14 January 2002 (payment order no. 163). 26.  On 30 November 2004 the applicant received the sum due to him in the form of a payment order (no. 3698) to his bank account). (The enforcement proceedings lasted from May 2002 to November 2004, that is, for about two years and six months.) 27.  In November 2002 the fourth applicant lodged complaints with the Pechersky District Court against the Ministry of Finance and the State Treasury, seeking payment of salary arrears, life-term judicial benefits and compensation for delays in their payment. 28.  On 16 December 2002 the district court allowed the applicant's claims. It ordered the Ministry of Finance and the State Treasury to pay the applicant UAH 5,978.34[5] in compensation. 29.  On 9 July 2003 the Court of Appeal upheld this judgment and it became final. 30.  On 11 August 2003 the PBS decided not to initiate enforcement proceedings in the case and informed the applicant that he should lodge the writs with the State Treasury. 31.  In October 2003 the applicant lodged the writs of execution with the State Treasury. On 10 November 2003 the State Treasury declined to enforce the judgment owing to a lack of budgetary funds, and stated that responsibility for enforcement lay with the State Judicial Administration. 32.  On 6 November 2004 the applicant received the sum due to him (payment order no. 163). (The enforcement proceedings lasted from July 2003 to November 2004, that is, for about one year and four months.)