4.  The applicant was born in 1962 and lives in Portorož. 5.  On 4 March 1996 the applicant was taken into custody. 6.  On 3 July 1996 after the investigation had been terminated, an indictment was lodged against the applicant before the Nova Gorica District Court. He was charged with fraud, larceny, forgery and abuse of trust. 7.  On 8 October 1996 the first hearing was held. Between 8 October 1996 and 20 January 1997 the court held twenty-eight hearings. In 1997 the court held fifty hearings, in 1998 forty-one hearings and in 1999 twenty hearings. 8.  On 30 September 1999 the Public Prosecutor modified the indictment. 9.  Between December 1999 and March 2001 the court held eleven hearings. 10.  On 13 March 2001 the Public Prosecutor modified the indictment for the second time. 11.  On 22 October 2001 the case was assigned to a new judge P.G. Under the new judge, the court held twenty hearings. Following several motions for recusal of the judge and an action for damages lodged against him by the applicant, the first judge resigned from the case. 12.  On 8 January 2003 the first-instance court decided to try one count of fraud in a separate set of proceedings (K 3/2003). 13.  On 3 March 2004 the case was assigned to a new judge, G.K. Following a civil action for damages lodged against the judge P.G., he requested to be removed from the case (see paragraph 11 above). In the course of the proceedings the applicant lodged several criminal complaints and actions for damages against the judges, the president of the court and the president of the Koper Higher Court as well as requests for change of venue. 14.  On 27 October 2004 the first hearing under the newly appointed judge was held. 15.  On 8 November 2004 the court held a hearing and the applicant lodged a request for recusal of the judge. He also lodged a criminal complaint against him, an action for damages and a constitutional appeal. 16.  During the hearing, held on 11 November 2004, the applicant again lodged a request for recusal of the judge and the president of the court. 17.  Until the end of 2004 the court held nine more hearings. The applicant, by way of protest, refused to participate at six hearings out of nine. 18.  On 10 January 2005 the Nova Gorica District Court after holding over 200 hearings, examining multiple witnesses and appointing one expert, delivered a judgment. The applicant was found guilty of criminal offences concerning fraud and abuse of trust. He was sentenced to six years of imprisonment. Both parties appealed. 19.  On 25 October 2006 the Koper Higher Court delivered a judgment. In its decision the appeal court modified in part the first-instance judgment and found the applicant guilty of an additional criminal offence. The sentence was increased to six years and six months of imprisonment. 20.  On 22 January 2007 the applicant lodged with the Supreme Court an appeal against the second-instance judgment and a request for protection of legality. 21.  On 5 April 2007 the applicant lodged a request for recusal of the Supreme Court judges. 22.  On 26 April 2007 the Supreme Court rejected the request for protection of legality. The requests for recusal were also rejected. 23.  On 26 June 2007 the Supreme Court decided on the appeal against the second-instance judgment. The appeal was upheld and the second-instance judgment amended. The applicant was sentenced to five years and six months of imprisonment. 24.  On 11 October 2007 the applicant’s representative lodged a request on protection of legality challenging the decision upon appeal (see paragraph 23). 25.  On 7 July 2008 the Supreme Court rejected the request on protection of legality. The applicant lodged a constitutional appeal. 26.  On 5 November 2010 the Constitutional Court rejected his appeal. 27.  On 30 October 2006, following the decision on separation of proceedings (see paragraph 12 above) the Nova Gorica District Court delivered a judgment. The applicant appealed. 28.  On 16 January 2008 the Koper Higher Court rejected the appeal. He lodged an appeal on points of law. 29.  On 16 December 2009 the Supreme Court rejected the appeal. He lodged a constitutional appeal. 30.  On 10 October 2011 the Constitutional Court rejected the appeal.