5.  The applicant was born in 1959 and lives in Koper. 6.  The applicant was a director of the company named Kovinar Hrpelje p.o. (“Kovinar”).
On 21 January 1992 the applicant was first suspended for having grossly abused his position in the company. He was eventually dismissed. The applicant instituted several proceedings against Kovinar in this respect.
On 17 October 1994 bankruptcy proceedings were instituted against Kovinar. The applicant took part in these proceedings, which terminated on 15 January 2003. On 17 January 2003 Kovinar ceased to exist. 7.  In the meanwhile, on 1 March 1995, the applicant had started working as an army officer for the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia. He was employed as an instructor in an army training centre. However, no contract of employment was made, because the applicant refused five times to sign the contract. As a result, the de facto employment relationship was terminated by a decision of the Ministry of Defence on 6 November 1995. 8.  On 18 March and 16 April 1992 the applicant instituted three sets of proceedings in the Koper Court of Associated Labour (Sodišče združenega dela v Kopru) against Kovinar. The applicant sought the annulment of Kovinar's decisions concerning his suspension and dismissal, payment of unpaid salaries, damages for wrongful dismissal and damages for illegal dismissal. The court decided to examine the cases jointly.
On 24 September 1992 the Court of Associated Labour of the Republic of Slovenia (Sodišče združenega dela Republike Slovenije) transferred the case to the Nova Gorica Court of Associated Labour (Sodišče združenega dela v Novi Gorici).
On 28 January 1993 the court delivered a judgment upholding the applicant's claims in part. 9.  Both parties appealed against this decision to the Court of Associated Labour of the Republic of Slovenia.
On 20 May 1993 the latter allowed both appeals in part, because the first-instance court had failed to rule on one of the applicant's requests, and remitted the case in part to the first-instance court. Following this decision, the part of the first-instance court's judgment referring to the illegal dismissal became final. As a consequence, Kovinar called the applicant back to work. 10.  On 22 September 1993 the Nova Gorica Court of Associated Labour upheld the applicant's claim concerning the annulment of the dismissal and dismissed the claims for compensation and continuation of his employment. 11.  Both parties appealed against this decision to the Court of Associated Labour of the Republic of Slovenia.
On 21 April 1994 the court dismissed the applicant's appeal and allowed Kovinar's appeal in part. 12.  On 16 June 1994 the applicant lodged an appeal on points of law with the Supreme Court.
On 28 June 1994 the Convention took effect with respect to Slovenia.
On 5 September 1995 the Supreme Court allowed the applicant's appeal on points of law in part and remitted the case in this respect to the first-instance court for re-examination. 13.  On 27 November 1995 the Koper Labour Court, Nova Gorica Unit (Delovno sodišče v Kopru, Oddelek v Novi Gorici) (the renamed Nova Gorica Court of Associated Labour), was informed that bankruptcy proceedings had been instituted against Kovinar. Therefore, on 29 November 1995 the court decided to stay the proceedings while the bankruptcy proceedings were pending.
On 4 November 1997 the applicant instituted a new set of proceedings in order to establish his claim in the bankruptcy proceedings.
On 13 May 1999 the case was transferred to a new judge who, on 20 May 1999, issued a decision to continue the proceedings.
On 8 September 1999 the first-instance court dismissed the applicant's claims. 14.  At an undetermined time, the applicant lodged an appeal with the Higher Labour and Social Court (Višje delovno in socialno sodišče). The judgment of 19 October 2001, dismissing the applicant's appeal, was served on the applicant on 6 November 2001. 15.  On 20 and 30 August and 7 September 1993 respectively the applicant instituted three sets of proceedings against Kovinar in the Koper Court of Associated Labour. He sought the declaration that his contract of employment was illegal, compensation for illegal dismissal from the post of director and the annulment of Kovinar's decision that he was temporarily a redundant worker. The court decided to examine the cases jointly. On 20 September 1993 the applicant withdrew the first and the third claims.
On 13 October 1993 the court held a hearing and decided to deliver a written judgment. On 26 December 1993 the judgment, dismissing the applicant's claim, was delivered. 16.  On 28 January 1994 the applicant appealed against this judgment.
On 28 June 1994 the Convention took effect with respect to Slovenia.
On 16 February 1995 the Higher Labour and Social Court allowed the appeal, set aside the judgment of the first-instance court and remitted the case for re-examination. 17.  On 14 June 1995 the applicant requested the continuation of the proceedings before the first-instance court, which had been stayed due to the bankruptcy proceedings pending against Kovinar.
On 11 April and 25 May 2000 the court held hearings. At the latter hearing, the court decided to deliver a written judgment and upheld the applicant's claims in part. 18.  On 10 November 2000 the applicant appealed to the Higher Labour and Social Court.
On 15 March 2001 the court dismissed the applicant's appeal. The decision was served on the applicant on 10 April 2001. 19.  On 9 May 2001 the applicant lodged an appeal on points of law with the Supreme Court, which was rejected on 14 May 2002 because the applicant had failed to assess the amount of damages at stake. 20.  On 26 October 1993 Kovinar informed the applicant that it would no longer transfer his salaries to his bank account opened at bank A.
On 24 December 1993 Kovinar paid salaries to its employees and claimed that it had also transferred the applicant's salary to his bank account at bank B, although the applicant had not had an account with that bank since 21 December 1993. 21.  On 4 January 1994 the applicant instituted civil proceedings against Kovinar in the Koper Local Court (Okrajno sodišče v Kopru), requesting a written apology and claiming damages in the amount of 10,000 German marks (DEM) for disclosing his personal data to a bank.
On 28 June 1994 the Convention took effect with respect to Slovenia.
On 29 February 2000 the court rejected the applicant's claim for an apology and transferred the compensation claim to the Koper District Court (Okrožno sodišče v Kopru). 22.  On 12 March 2001 the applicant appealed to the Koper Higher Court (Višje sodišče v Kopru) against this decision in the part concerning the costs and expenses.
On 17 February 2002 the court decided on the appeal.
On 13 December 2000 the Koper District Court held a hearing in the proceedings concerning the compensation claim. This hearing was adjourned until 12 February 2001 to allow the court the time to acquire the file on the bankruptcy proceedings pending against Kovinar.
The hearing scheduled for 12 February 2001 was adjourned, because neither of the parties appeared before the court, even though the summons had been served on them.
On 4 April 2001 the court held a hearing. At the hearing, the applicant modified his claim and requested that the court find a violation of the Personal Data Protection Act and award him appropriate damages.
On 26 June 2001 the court rejected both claims, because they were not specified as required by the law, although the applicant had been requested to amend them. The decision was served on the applicant on 1 September 2001. Before this date, he had failed to retrieve the written decision from the post office, although he had been duly informed of this possibility. 23.  On 10 September 2001 the applicant appealed to the Koper Higher Court.
On 6 December 2001 the court upheld the first-instance court's decision. This decision was served on the applicant on 3 January 2001. 24.  On 1 February 2002 the applicant lodged an appeal on points of law with the Koper District Court.
On 27 May 2002 the court rejected the applicant's request because the sum at issue was below 5,000,000 Slovenian tolars (SIT) and the appeal on points of law was therefore not allowed. This decision became final on 21 June 2002. 25.  On 27 September 1993, 4 November 1993 and 7 July 1994 the applicant instituted four proceedings against his former employer, Kovinar, in the Koper Labour Court (Delovno sodišče v Kopru). The applicant raised complaints concerning the offer of employment, the work classification, the allegedly illegal dismissal and the payment of interest on salaries. The court decided to examine the four applications jointly.
On 28 June 1994 the Convention took effect with respect to Slovenia.
On 30 December 1994, following the institution of bankruptcy proceedings against Kovinar, the court decided to stay the proceedings.
On 5 November 1997 the applicant lodged two written submissions and amended his initial claims.
In February 2000, the court granted the applicant's request to continue the proceedings. During the stay of the proceedings, the applicant sent several letters and lodged written observations with the court.
On 11 April 2000 the court held a hearing at which the applicant withdrew one of his claims. The proceedings with respect to this claim were therefore terminated.
On 16 May 2000 the court held a hearing and decided to deliver a written judgment. In the judgment, the court upheld the applicant's claim in part. A part of the claim was dismissed as res iudicata, since the Nova Gorica Labour Court had already delivered a decision in this respect. 26.  On 10 November 2000 the applicant appealed to the Higher Labour and Social Court (Višje delovno in socialno sodišče).
On 3 July 2002 the Higher Labour and Social Court upheld the applicant's appeal in part and remitted the case to the Koper Labour Court for re-examination. 27.  On 10 February 2003 the Koper Labour Court rejected the applicant's claim because Kovinar had ceased to exist on 17 January 2003, following the termination of the bankruptcy proceedings. The decision was served on the applicant on 11 February 2003 and became final on 24 February 2003. 28.  On 8 November 2004 the applicant requested that the proceedings be continued. This request was dismissed that same day. The applicant appealed against this decision to the Higher Labour and Social Court, but to no avail. 29.  On 15 September 1995 the applicant instituted proceedings against the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia (“the Ministry”) in the Koper Labour Court, Postojna Unit (Delovno sodišče v Kopru, Oddelek v Postojni), seeking payment of a portion of his salary on the basis of duty service for July 1995 and unpaid benefits in the amount of 15,868.27 Slovenian tolars (approximately 66 euros).
On 9 April 1996 the court held a hearing which was adjourned because the Ministry had lodged preliminary written submissions at the hearing.
On 10 April 1996 the applicant amended his claim.
On 25 April 1996 the court held a hearing and decided to deliver a written judgment. The court upheld the applicant's claim. 30.  On 31 May 1996 the Ministry appealed to the Higher Labour and Social Court.
On 13 July 1998 the court allowed the appeal, set aside the first-instance court's judgment and remitted the case for re-examination, because the applicant had failed to state correctly the name of the defendant. 31.  On 9 October 1998 the applicant lodged an appeal on points of law with the Supreme Court, which was rejected by the Koper Labour Court, Postojna Unit as not allowed.
On 2 and 22 December 1998 the Koper Labour Court, Postojna Unit, held hearings. At the latter hearing the Koper Labour Court, Postojna Unit, dismissed the applicant's claim. 32.  On 11 February 1999 the applicant appealed to the Higher Labour and Social Court.
On 21 February 2001 the court allowed the appeal, set aside the first-instance court's judgment and remitted the case to the Koper Labour Court, Postojna Unit. 33.  On 2 April 2001 the applicant requested that the case be transferred from the Koper Labour Court, Postojna Unit, to a different first-instance court. The request was dismissed on 11 April 2001.
On 22 August 2001 the court held a hearing and decided to deliver a written judgment. At the hearing the applicant withdrew a part of his claim.
The court upheld the applicant's claim in part. 34.  On 12 December 2001 the applicant appealed to the Higher Labour and Social Court.
On 14 November 2003 the court dismissed the appeal. The decision was served on the applicant on 4 December 2003. 35.  On 8 December 2003 the applicant lodged an appeal on points of law. On 8 December 2003 the Koper Labour Court, Postojna Unit, rejected the appeal as not allowed. This decision became final on 22 December 2003. 36.  On 7 April 1995 a company called Stanovanjsko podjetje d.o.o. Zagorje ob Savi (“Podjetje”) instituted enforcement proceedings against the applicant in the Trbovlje Local Court (Okrajno sodišče v Trbovljah), seeking payment of a debt.
On 27 July 1995 the court declared the case outside of its jurisdiction and transferred it to the Koper Local Court (Okrajno sodišče v Kopru).
On 12 September 1995 the Koper Local Court issued a decision allowing the enforcement. The decision was served on the applicant on 20 October 1995. The court had attempted to serve the decision on the applicant earlier, but he had failed to collect it at the post office even though he had been notified of the delivery.
On 27 October 1995 the applicant objected to the enforcement.
On 6 November 1995 the court set aside the decision of 12 September 1995 and requested Podjetje to institute contentious civil proceedings to establish the existence of the debt. 37.  On 21 May 1999 the Koper Local Court held the first hearing. The court requested the Trbovlje Local Court to take testimony from two witnesses, which it did on 15 September 1999.
On 29 October 1999 the Koper Local Court held the second hearing. The court delivered a judgment upholding the enforcement decision of 12 September 1995. 38.  On 29 November 1999 the applicant appealed against this judgment to the Koper Higher Court (Višje sodišče v Kopru).
On 23 August 2000 the court dismissed the appeal. The decision became final immediately. It was served on the applicant on 2 November 2000.