5.  On 22 February 1989 the applicant filed a claim for damages with the Košice 1 District Court. He claimed compensation from a person whom a criminal court had previously convicted of the offence of wounding the applicant. 6.  An expert appointed by the court submitted his opinion on 24 February 1990. On 22 March 1991 the applicant requested that a supplementary expert opinion be ordered. A second expert was appointed in 1991. On 7 February 1994 he returned the case file to the District Court with the explanation that the applicant had failed to attend an examination. On 21 June 1995 the expert was again requested to submit an opinion. The expert returned the case file to the District Court on 29 April 1997 without having elaborated an opinion. On 9 June 1997 the District Court imposed a procedural fine on the expert. 7.  On 16 February 1998 the Constitutional Court found that the applicant’s constitutional right to a hearing without delays had been violated in the proceedings before the Košice 1 District Court. In its decision the Constitutional Court noted that the case was not complex and that the District Court had failed to ensure that the case be proceeded with without delays. 8.  On 7 September 1998 the applicant extended his action. 9.  On 25 September 1998 the Košice 1 District Court awarded damages to the applicant in accordance with his original action. It further dismissed the applicant’s request that the action be extended. 10.  Both the applicant and the defendant appealed. 11.  On 25 May 2000 the Košice Regional Court upheld the first instance judgment.