5.  The applicant was born in 1949 and lives in Rokytno. Until August 1996 he worked as a secondary school teacher. 6.  On 25 July 1995 K. hit the applicant and damaged his teeth. 7.  By two medical reports of 26 July 1995 and 2 February 1996 the applicant was found to have sustained minor injuries. 8.  On an unspecified date the criminal case was opened against K. and subsequently referred to the Yavoriv Town Court (“the Yavoriv court”). In the course of the trial the applicant introduced a claim for compensation for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages on account of his injuries. 9.  On 7 March 1997 the applicant received from a private dentist an estimate of the medical treatment which he had to undergo as a result of his injuries, and submitted it to the court. 10.  On 16 December 1997 the court found K. guilty of intentional infliction of minor bodily injuries and sentenced him to one year’s community service. It relied on the medical reports of 26 July 1995 and 2 February 1996. 11.  The court further rejected the applicant’s claim for compensation on the ground that it had not been lodged in accordance with the procedural formalities, and informed him that he could institute civil proceedings against K. 12.  The above judgment was not appealed against and became final. 13.  On 30 March 1998 the applicant lodged with the Galytskyy District Court of Lviv (“the Galytskyy court”) a civil law claim against K. 14.  The court ordered two medical examinations and stayed the proceedings pending their outcome for the periods of 15 February to 4 March 1999, 27 December 1999 to 21 November 2000, and 26 December 2000 to 21 April 2003. It also made several unsuccessful inquiries to the local police and hospital about the applicant’s medical documents of 1995. 15.  From December 1999 to March 2003 the Lviv Regional Dental Hospital kept the case file for the purpose of the aforementioned examinations. Due to the loss of the relevant medical documents and the considerable lapse of time following the injuries, it found it impossible to estimate the actual costs of the treatment the applicant had had to undergo. 16.  According to the letter of the Galytskyy court to the applicant dated 13 March 2003, the latter had twice failed to appear for medical examinations and had failed to notify the court of a change of his address. 17.  In April 2003 the court adjourned the hearing for about a month due to the defendant’s absence. 18.  On 26 May 2003 the court found in part for the applicant and ordered K. to pay him 2,273 Ukrainian hryvnyas (UAH)[1] in compensation for medical expenses as confirmed by the certificate issued to the applicant by a private dentist on 7 March 1997, and UAH 1,500[2] in compensation for non-pecuniary damage. The court based its judgment on the factual findings of the Yavoriv court in the criminal case against K. 19.  The judgment was not appealed against and became final.