5.  The applicant was born in 1976 and lives in Vác. 6.  In January 2002 the Pest Central District Court found the applicant, a recidivist offender, guilty of attempted blackmail and plunder and sentenced him to eight years’ imprisonment. On appeal, the Budapest Regional Court, on 15 May 2003, re-characterised his actions as offences of “taking the law into one’s own hands”, attempted aggravated assault and a violation of personal liberty, but reduced his sentence to five years’ imprisonment. 7.  In February 2003 the applicant was charged with aggravated assault. In the ensuing proceedings the applicant was assisted by court-appointed defence counsel. 8.  After holding three hearings, the Pest Central District Court found the applicant guilty as charged on 26 February 2004. The District Court took account of the protraction of the proceedings as a mitigating factor and sentenced him to four years’ imprisonment. The District Court relied on documentary evidence, the opinion of a forensic medical expert and the testimony of several witnesses as well as the applicant. 9.  The applicant appealed, seeking acquittal on the ground that the judgment was ill-founded. The Budapest Regional Court notified the applicant’s lawyer that it would determine the appeal at deliberations in camera. In reply, the lawyer put forward his arguments in detail and requested the court to hold a public hearing. He asserted that the court should hear further witnesses in order to establish the facts fully. 10.  On 1 February 2005 the Regional Court held deliberations in camera and upheld the applicant’s conviction. The applicant, his lawyer and the prosecution were not present. The Regional Court reviewed the entirety of the proceedings and upheld their lawfulness. Furthermore, it considered that the findings of fact by the first-instance court were not ill-founded within the meaning of section 351(2) of the New Code of Criminal Procedure, and were thus suitable for appellate review without taking further evidence. This consideration enabled the court to hold deliberations in camera, pursuant to section 360(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, without the attendance of either the defence or the prosecution.