6.  The applicant was born in 1949 and lives in Copenhagen. 7. On 30 January 1998 the applicant instituted civil proceedings before the High Court of Eastern Denmark (Østre Landsret) against the Ministry of Employment (Beskæftigelsesministeriet), claiming among other things that the Ministry pay him DKK 83,025, equal to approximately 11,000 Euros (EUR), corresponding to the difference between the salary he had received during a seven months so-called “job offer” period and the salary he allegedly should have received in accordance with the collective agreement. 8.  On 8 May 2002 the High Court decided that the case should commence before the City Court. Having been granted leave to appeal against this decision to the Supreme Court (Højesteret), on 20 December 2002 the latter found for the applicant, and referred the case back to the High Court. 9.  In a letter of 20 May 2003 to the Ministry of Justice and the Court Administration (Domstolsstyrelsen) the applicant complained that the length of the proceedings had exceeded the reasonable time requirement within the meaning of Article 6 of the Convention. By letter of 16 June 2003 the Ministry referred the applicant to lodge his complaint before the High Court, where the case was pending. By letter of 18 June 2003 the Court Administration concurred with the Ministry's reply. 10.  By letter of 8 August 2003 to the division of the High Court dealing with the case, the applicant repeated his complaint and claimed compensation. In reply, on 11 December 2003 the President of the High Court found no reason to grant the applicant compensation inter alia because the High Court had offered that the trial could commence earlier, but that the applicant's counsel had been unable to appear on any of the proposed days. 11.  By judgment of 6 May 2004 the High Court found against the applicant. It also ordered that the applicant pay defendant's costs to the Ministry of Employment in the amount of DKK 90,000. 12.  On 1 July 2004 the applicant appealed against the judgment to the Supreme Court (Højesteret), which on 26 April 2006, upheld the High Court's judgment.