4.  The applicant was born in 1954 and lives in Žiar nad Hronom. At the relevant time he was a police investigator. On 29 October 1996 a private TV company broadcast a statement by a Member of Parliament in which the applicant was accused of covering up crime. 5.  On 29 November 1996 the applicant sued the Member of Parliament before the Žiar nad Hronom District Court. He claimed that the above statement was defamatory and sought protection of his reputation. On 3 December 1996 the applicant was requested to pay the court fees. On the same day the defendant was asked to submit his observations. 6.  On 11 December 1996 the case file was transferred to the Banská Bystrica Regional Court as the District Court judges considered themselves biased. On 30 December 1996 the Regional Court excluded two District Court judges from dealing with the case. The decision was transmitted to the District Court on 7 February 1997. On 7 March 1997 the President of the Žiar nad Hronom District Court returned the case file to the Regional Court with a more detailed explanation as to why all District Court judges considered themselves biased. The Regional Court was requested to transfer the case to another court. 7.  On 30 April 1997 the Regional Court excluded the Žiar nad Hronom District Court judges and transferred the case to the District Court in Veľký Krtíš. The case file was transferred to the latter court on 2 June 1997. 8.  On 12 June 1997 the District Court in Veľký Krtíš discontinued the proceedings on the ground that the applicant had failed to pay the court fees. On 30 June 1997 the applicant appealed. On 3 July 1997 the District Court quashed the decision as the applicant had paid the fees in the meantime. 9.  On 14 August 1997 the Supreme Court, upon the proposal of the District Court judge to whom the case fell to be examined, transferred the case to the Bratislava I District Court. The latter received the case file on 22 September 1997. 10.  On 30 January 1998 the applicant claimed that the transfer of the case to the Bratislava I District Court had been unlawful. 11.  On 12 February 1998 the Bratislava I District Court heard the parties. 12.  On 16 March 1998 the Bratislava I District Court asked the applicant to which court he wished the case to be transferred and to pay the court fee in respect of that request. 13.  On 20 March 1998 the applicant replied that he could accept that the case be assigned to any court in the vicinity of Žiar nad Hronom district. On 26 March 1998 the applicant asked the court to specify the legal basis for the request for court fees. The applicant’s replies were not included in the case file. 14.  On 11 September 1998 the District Court judge reiterated her request of 16 March 1998. On 23 September 1998 the applicant submitted copies of his above letters of 20 and 26 March 1998 and pointed out that he had received no reply to them. 15.  On 12 October 1998 the District Court judge again requested the applicant to pay the fee in respect of his request that the case be transferred to a different court and to specify the court which, in his view, should deal with the case. 16.  On 4 November 1998 the applicant reiterated that he wished the case to be examined by a court in the vicinity of Žiar nad Hronom district. He also complained that the judge had failed to proceed with the case. 17.  On 7 January 2000 the applicant complained to the President of the Bratislava I District Court that his case had not been proceeded with. 18.  On 14 April 2000 the Bratislava I District Court again asked the applicant to specify the court to which the case should be transferred and to pay the fee in respect of this request. 19.  On 4 May 2000 the applicant explained that he had not requested that the case be transferred to a different court for reasons of convenience. He argued that the case fell outside the territorial jurisdiction of the Bratislava I District Court and that the determination of that issue was not subject to payment of court fees and fell within the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. 20.  On 12 July 2000 the vice-president of the Bratislava I District Court admitted, in reply to the applicant’s complaint, that there had been delays in the proceedings in the course of 1999. The letter further stated that the applicant had contributed to the overall length of the proceedings in that he had failed to co-operate with the court. 21.  On 6 September 2000 the applicant informed the District Court that he would not attend the hearing scheduled for 25 September 2000 as he considered that that court lacked jurisdiction to deal with the case. As a result, the case was adjourned. 22.  On 25 September 2000 the District Court imposed a fine on the applicant on the ground that he had failed to appear. On 18 October 2000 the applicant appealed against the decision to fine him. He also requested the exclusion of the judge. On 30 November 2000 the Bratislava Regional Court upheld the decision on the fine and found that the Bratislava I District Court judge was not biased. 23.  On 20 February 2001 the applicant informed the court that he was ill and that he would not be able to attend a hearing scheduled for 22 February 2001. 24.  On 9 March 2001 the applicant informed the court that he wished to withdraw the action and requested that the court fees be returned to him. He explained that he had lost confidence in the proper administration of justice as the Bratislava I District Court had failed to proceed with the case. 25.  On 12 March 2001 the District Court discontinued the proceedings with reference to the applicant’s request. It further decided that the sum which the applicant had paid in court fees should be restored to him and that he had to pay the defendant’s costs. 26.  On 27 April 2001 the applicant appealed against the decision concerning the defendant’s costs. On 9 May 2001 he submitted reasons for the appeal. 27.  On 28 August 2001 the Bratislava Regional Court upheld the relevant part of the District Court’s decision. The court fees paid by the applicant were returned to him on 5 June 2002. 28.  On 13 December 1996 the applicant sued the TV company which had broadcast the above statement by a Member of Parliament. He claimed that the statement was defamatory and sought protection of his reputation. 29.  On 7 January 1996 the applicant was invited to pay the court fees.
On 13 January 1997 the case file was submitted to the Banská Bystrica Regional Court as the District Court judges considered themselves biased. On 14 January 1997 the Regional Court excluded one of the District Court judges from dealing with the case. 30.  On 10 and 13 February 1997 the defendant company submitted observations on the applicant’s action. 31.  On 7 March 1997 the president of the District Court sent the case file again to the Banská Bystrica Regional Court with the explanation that all judges of the District Court considered themselves biased. In an annex, the judges concerned explained in more detail why they considered that they lacked impartiality. The Regional Court was requested to transfer the case to a different court. 32.  On 30 April 1997 the Regional Court excluded the Žiar nad Hronom District Court judges and transferred the case to the District Court in Veľký Krtíš. The case file was transferred to the latter court on 2 June 1997. 33.  On 12 June 1997 the District Court in Veľký Krtíš discontinued the proceedings on the ground that the applicant had failed to pay the court fees. On 30 June 1997 the applicant appealed. On 3 July 1997 the District Court quashed the decision as the applicant had paid the fees in the meantime. 34.  On 21 August 1997 the Supreme Court, upon the proposal of the District Court judge to whom the case fell to be examined, transferred the case to the Bratislava I District Court. The latter received the case file on 22 September 1997. 35.  On 26 January 1998 the Bratislava I District Court discontinued the proceedings on the ground that the designation of the defendant company in the applicant’s action was not correct. The applicant appealed on 9 March 1998. The case file was submitted to the Bratislava Regional Court on 16 April 1998. It quashed the District Court’s decision on 29 May 1998. 36.  On 21 July 1998 the applicant claimed that the transfer of the case to the Bratislava I District Court had been unlawful. 37.  On 7 September 1998 the Bratislava I District Court adjourned the case with reference to the applicant’s above objection. 38.  On 25 September 1998 the Bratislava I District Court asked the applicant to specify to which court he wished the case to be transferred and to pay a court fee in respect of that request. 39.  On 4 November 1998 the applicant replied that he considered that the Bratislava I District Court lacked territorial jurisdiction to deal with the case and that it should be examined by a court in the vicinity of Žiar nad Hronom district. 40.  On 14 April 2000 the District Court judge reiterated her request of 25 September 1998. 41.  On 1 May 2000 the applicant explained that he had not requested that the case be transferred to a different court for reasons of convenience. He argued that the case fell outside the territorial jurisdiction of the Bratislava I District Court and complained about delays in the proceedings. The applicant also asked the judge to specify any further points which, as the case might be, were to be explained by him. 42.  On 12 June 2000 the vice-president of the Bratislava I District Court admitted, in reply to the applicant’s complaint, that there had been delays in the proceedings in the course of 1999. The letter further stated that the applicant had contributed to the overall length of the proceedings in that he had failed to co-operate with the court. 43.  On 1 September 2000 the applicant informed the District Court that he would not attend the hearing scheduled for 25 September 2000 as he considered that that court lacked jurisdiction to deal with the case and that his complaints in that respect had been to no avail. 44.  On 25 September 2000 the District Court imposed a fine on the applicant on the ground that he had failed to appear at a hearing. 45.  On 18 October 2000 the applicant appealed against the decision to fine him. He also requested the exclusion of the judge. 46.  On 30 November 2000 the Bratislava Regional Court upheld the decision on the fine and found that the Bratislava I District Court judge was not biased. 47.  On 20 February 2001 the applicant excused his absence, due to illness, at a hearing before the District Court scheduled for 22 February 2001. 48.  On 9 March 2001 the applicant informed the District Court that he wished to withdraw the action and requested that the court fees be returned to him. He explained that he had lost confidence in the proper administration of justice as the Bratislava I District Court had failed to proceed with the case. 49.  On 12 March 2001 the District Court discontinued the proceedings with reference to the applicant’s request. It further decided that the sum which the applicant had paid in court fees should be restored to him and that he had to pay the defendant’s costs. 50.  On 27 April 2001 the applicant appealed against the decision concerning the defendant’s costs. On 9 May 2001 he submitted reasons for the appeal. On 30 July 2001 the Bratislava Regional Court upheld the relevant part of the District Court’s decision. The court fees paid by the applicant were returned to him on 5 June 2002.