4.  The applicant was born in 1940 and lives in Stryy, the Lviv region. She is a former director of a municipal preschool educational establishment (“the Establishment,” Дитяча дошкільна установа №1 санаторного типу). 5.  In May 1996 the applicant was dismissed, following the City Council's (Стрийська Рада народних депутатів Львівської області) decision to liquidate the Establishment. 6.  In June 1996 the applicant lodged a civil action against the Municipal Education Department (Відділ освіти виконавчого комітету Стрийської міської ради), seeking her reinstatement and compensation for unlawful dismissal. Subsequently, the applicant also challenged the legality of the decision to liquidate the Establishment. The Drogobych Court (Дрогобичський міський суд Львівської області) decided to examine the two complaints jointly and held some three hearings before September 1997. 7.  No procedural actions are reported to have taken place between September 1997 and December 2000. 8.  Between December 2000 and October 2001 the court scheduled some seven hearings, one of them having been adjourned on account of the applicant's absence, and two – on account of the absence of the defendant. 9.  On 12 October 2001 the court dismissed the applicant's claims, having found that the liquidation of the Establishment and the applicant's dismissal had been carried out in compliance with applicable law. 10.  On 12 November 2001 the applicant appealed. 11.  On 11 March 2002 the Lviv Regional Court of Appeal (Апеляційний суд Львівської області) upheld the judgment of 12 October 2001. 12.  On 6 June 2002 the applicant appealed in cassation. 13.  On 14 February 2003 the Supreme Court rejected the applicant's request for leave to appeal in cassation.