4.  The applicant was born in 1959 and lives in Skopje. 5.  He was employed by the State Land Bureau (Геодетска Управа/ Државен Зaвод за Геодетски Работи) (“the employer”). On 29 September 1994 he sustained grievous bodily injuries while on duty: trying to jump over a fence, he fell down and broke his spine and elbow. Until June 1997 he was several times hospitalised and underwent four spinal operations. 6. On 21 October 1996 the applicant instituted civil proceedings for damages against the employer before the Skopje Court of First Instance (“the trial court”). 7.  At a hearing of 8 January 1997 the court ordered the examination of two witnesses. As their whereabouts fell within the territorial competence of the Ohrid Court of First Instance, the trial court requested the latter to carry out the examination. 8. On 4 March 1997 the trial court examined one of the witnesses. The hearing was postponed as the Ohrid Court of First Instance had failed to examine the other witness. 9. On 22 April 1997 the trial court heard the applicant and adjourned the hearing because of the failure of the Ohrid Court of First Instance to examine the other witness. A hearing scheduled for 16 June 1997 was adjourned for the same reason. 10. On 18 June 1997 the Ohrid Court of First Instance provided the trial court with a record of the witnesses' examination. Between 13 January and 17 May 1997 the trial court had requested the Ohrid Court of First Instance to carry out the examination on three occasions. 11. On 30 September 1997 the trial court suspended the proceedings because of the applicant's absence. 12. On 25 November 1997 the applicant requested the trial court to resume the proceedings. 13. On 16 February 1998 the trial court ordered the re-examination of one of the witnesses. It further requested the employer to submit the Working Posts' Regulation (Акт за систематизација на работите и работните задачи) (“the Regulation”). 14. On 26 March 1998 the trial court re-examined one of the witnesses and adjourned the hearing, as the employer had not submitted the Regulation. It postponed a hearing fixed for 14 May 1998 as the Regulation had not been provided yet. The trial court further allowed the applicant's request for an expert examination in relation to the non-pecuniary damage and ordered the Psychiatric Hospital “Bardovci” in Skopje (the “Hospital”) to carry out the examination. The Hospital provided its expert report on 28 August 1998. 15. On 22 October 1998 the applicant requested an additional expert examination concerning the anguish suffered which was allegedly omitted in the previous expert report. The trial court granted his request and ordered the employer to provide information as to whether the applicant had been medically insured. 16. A hearing fixed for 24 November 1998 was adjourned as the additional expert report had not been provided. 17. On 16 February 1999 the trial court partly upheld the applicant's claim and awarded him 3,834,960 Macedonian denars (MKD) together with interest. 18. On 4 October 1999 the Deputy Solicitor General appealed before the Skopje Court of Appeal on the basis that the amount of the award had been excessive; that the lower court had erroneously established the facts, in particular that the employer had not issued a special work-instruction for a particular job at the time of the accident; and that the substantive law had been incorrectly applied. 19. On 23 December 1999 the Skopje Court of Appeal dismissed the Deputy Solicitor General's appeal and upheld the trial court's judgment. 20. On 1 March 2000 the Deputy Solicitor General brought before the Supreme Court an appeal on points of law (ревизија). He complained that the applicant had also contributed to the accident by overlooking the possible negative consequences of jumping over the fence. The Deputy Solicitor General further alleged the incorrect application of the national law. On 9 March 2000 the appeal on points of law was communicated to the applicant. The latter did not file submissions in reply. 21. On 21 April 2000 the applicant applied to the trial court to enforce its judgment and to transfer to him the amount due from the employer's account. Judgment award was paid in September 2001. 22. On 24 October 2002 the Supreme Court partly upheld the Deputy Solicitor General's appeal on points of law and overturned the lower courts' judgments. It dismissed his arguments that there had been substantial procedural deficiencies, but it ruled that the lower courts had incorrectly applied the national law. Referring to the facts as established by the lower courts, the Supreme Court held that they had erroneously found that the applicant had not contributed to the accident. Moreover, it found that there had been no instruction by the employer for the undertaking of the relevant action. It ruled therefore, that the applicant shared the responsibility with the employer for the injuries sustained: it consequently reduced the award by 50% together with statutory interest (законска затезна камата). The interest concerning the pecuniary damage was to be calculated from 21 October 1996 and 22 October 1998, respectively, and the interest concerning the non-pecuniary damage – from 18 February 1999, until the final payment. 23. No further actions were taken by either of the parties in respect of the Supreme Court's judgment.