4.  The applicant is a Ukrainian national who was born in 1970 and lives in the Ivano-Frankivsk Region. 5.  In October 1994 the applicant was injured by a private individual, V. Shortly afterwards, criminal proceedings were instituted against that person in the course of which the applicant claimed compensation for damage. 6.  On 8 December 1995 the Bogorodchany Court found V. guilty of inflicting bodily injuries on the applicant and ordered him to pay the applicant 8,000,000 karbovantsi (former Ukrainian currency) in compensation. 7.  On 10 January 1996 the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Court quashed the part of that judgment which concerned the applicant’s compensation claim and remitted that part of the case for fresh consideration. In May 1996 the applicant modified her claims. 8.  Between 10 January 1996 and 10 September 1997 the case was twice reconsidered by the courts of first and appeal instances. On the latter date the applicant requested the first-instance court to suspend the proceedings until January-February 1998 for health reasons. 9.  On 29 September 1997 the court granted her request. 10.  In October 1998 the proceedings were resumed. 11.  On 19 November 1998 the Tysmennytsa Court, to which the case had earlier been transferred, ordered, of its own motion, a forensic examination to assess the gravity of the applicant’s bodily injuries. The examination was completed on 2 February 1999. 12.  On 22 July 1999 the court ordered an additional forensic examination at the applicant’s request. That examination was completed on 27 December 2000. 13.  On 8 February 2002 the court allowed the applicant’s claim in part and awarded her 22,316 Ukrainian hryvnias (UAH)[1] in compensation for her medical treatment, loss of earnings, non-pecuniary damage and legal fees. 14.  On 28 May 2002 the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Court of Appeal changed that decision and decreased the award to UAH 9,315[2]. 15.  In June 2002 the applicant and V. appealed in cassation. 16.  Following several reconsiderations of the admissibility of V.’s appeal, on 24 April 2003 the case was referred to the Supreme Court. 17.  On 4 June 2004 the Supreme Court dismissed the appeals lodged by the applicant and V. as unsubstantiated. 18.  According to the Government, the judgment of 8 February 2002 (as amended by the judgment of 28 May 2002) was enforced in full by the end of 2004. 19.  In the course of the court proceedings, nine hearings were adjourned either at the applicant’s request or due to her failure to appear, four were adjourned due to both parties’ failure to appear, and one was adjourned due to the absence of the judge.