12.  The applicant was born in 1938 and lives in Benevento. 13.  On an unspecified date E.A.S., a company, applied to the Benevento District Court for an order against the applicant for payment of 7,500,000 Italian lire (3,873.43 euros (EUR)) in performance of a contract for professional services. In a decision of 13 October 1988 the president of the court granted the application. The order was served on the applicant by E.A.S. on 28 November 1988. On 3 December 1988 the applicant challenged it in the same court. 14.  Preparation of the case for trial began on 13 January 1989. On 18 January 1989 the case was joined to another case that was pending between the same parties. The immediate enforcement of the order was suspended. Of the seventeen hearings listed between 14 June 1989 and 26 November 1998 two were devoted to hearing evidence from the applicant, three to hearing other evidence, six were adjourned by the court of its own motion, one was adjourned to allow the parties to reach a friendly settlement, four were adjourned at the request of the applicant or both parties and one was adjourned because E.A.S. had failed to appear. 15.  However, on an unspecified date the case was referred to the bench of judges dealing with the oldest cases (sezione stralcio). Of the six hearings listed between 16 March 1999 and 28 November 2001 one was adjourned because E.A.S. had not appeared (owing to the registry’s failure to notify it of the date to which the hearing had been adjourned by the court of its own motion), one because of a lawyers’ strike, one to allow the parties to make their submissions, and two by the court of its own motion. 16.  Six hearings later, on 13 April 2005 the court set the case down for hearing of oral submissions on 8 June 2005. On that date judgment was reserved. According to information provided by the applicant on 12 October 2005, the proceedings were still pending. 17.  On 10 January 2002 the applicant lodged an application with the Rome Court of Appeal under Law no. 89 of 24 March 2001, known as the “Pinto Act”, complaining of the length of the above-described proceedings. He asked the court to rule that there had been a breach of Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and to order the Italian State to pay compensation for the pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage sustained. The applicant claimed EUR 14,460.94 in pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages. He sought the reimbursement of his legal costs, including those incurred before the Court, but did not quantify or give particulars of them. 18.  In a decision of 21 June 2002, the text of which was deposited with the registry on 3 September 2002, the Court of Appeal found that the length of the proceedings had been excessive. It held as follows:
“... Despite a number of adjournments for which the judicial authorities are not responsible because they were ordered at the request of the parties or because of a lawyers’ strike, the length of the proceedings was unreasonable.
Whilst the allegation of pecuniary damage and personal injury is not supported by any proof, the applicant very likely suffered mental distress on account of the unjustified length of the proceedings. The resultant damage, given the foregoing considerations, can be assessed at 1,000 euros, and the legal costs, including those for the proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights, at 800 euros.”
The Court of Appeal awarded the applicant EUR 1,000 on an equitable basis in compensation for non-pecuniary damage, and EUR 800 for costs and expenses, including those incurred before the Court, but without giving a breakdown. 19.  In a letter of 21 January 2003 the applicant informed the Court of the outcome of the domestic proceedings and asked the Court to continue its examination of his application. 20.  The applicant did not indicate that he had appealed to the Court of Cassation. 21.  The Court of Appeal’s decision was served on 23 January 2003 and became final on 24 March 2003. The applicant served the authorities with notice to comply on 11 October 2003. The applicant lodged an application for a garnishee order with the Rome judge responsible for enforcement proceedings and a hearing was held on 28 March 2004. After obtaining a garnishee order on 27 May 2004, the amounts were paid on an unspecified date after service of the order.