4.  The applicant was born in 1936 and lives in Skopje. 5.  On 3 April 1995 the applicant instituted civil proceedings before the then Skopje Municipal Court (Општински Суд Скопје) (“the first-instance court”) against the Copyright Agency of Macedonia-Skopje (“the company”) claiming payment of an outstanding dividend. He alleged that the company’s restructuring had been unlawful and that the latter had not calculated his salary in compliance with the applicable legislation at that time (the applicant alleged that the company had not been fully privatised and that accordingly, it should have applied legislation concerning socially-owned enterprises). He further claimed that the company had misappropriated part of its profits and distributed them to its employees as salaries. In that latter context, he claimed a higher dividend than he had actually received (he claimed to have possessed 13.63% of the company’s capital and not 11.918%). 6.  On 17 February 1997 the court ordered an expert examination of the applicant’s claim. It appears that the expert report was produced in August 1997. 7.  On 29 May 1997 the applicant brought a separate civil action against the company’s manager. On 25 December 1997 the first-instance court joined the two applications since they concerned the same issues of facts and law. 8.  On 3 December 1997 the applicant unsuccessfully proposed a friendly settlement of the case. 9.  In September 1998 the applicant successfully applied for the removal of the judge sitting in his case. The sitting judge also asked to withdraw due to the applicant’s difficult behaviour, namely that he had repeatedly accused the courts and experts of bias and incompetence. 10.  None of five hearings fixed between 25 November 1999 and 5 October 2000 was adjourned at the applicant’s request. 11.  On 29 November 2000 the chairman of the panel deciding the applicant’s case withdrew because the applicant had brought criminal charges against her. The latter were rejected by the public prosecutor. 12.  Hearings listed on 29 May, 12 July and 21 December 2001 and 14 February 2002 were rescheduled due to the absence of the sitting judge or the incorrect summoning of the defendants. 13.  By submissions of 18 November 1998, 4 May 1999, 25 April 2000, 25 April 2001 and 1 March 2002, the applicant submitted further applications increasing his claim. 14.  On 28 March 2002 the first-instance court dismissed the applicant’s claim. On 4 September 2002 this decision was served on the applicant. 15.  On 19 December 2002 the Skopje Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal lodged by the applicant on 18 September 2002. 16.  On 12 February 2003 the applicant lodged an appeal on points of law (ревизија) with the Supreme Court. On 5 and 20 March 2003 he filed supplements to his appeal. 17.  On 23 June 2004 the Supreme Court dismissed the applicant’s appeal. This decision was served on him on 16 December 2004. 18.  On 20 December 2004 the first-instance court dismissed the applicant’s request for rectification of its decision, which had been in fact a request for a fresh decision on the merits. 19.  The composition of the first-instance court’s panel changed four times during the proceedings in question.