CASE OF SUKHANOV AND ILCHENKO v. UKRAINE
Violation of Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 - Protection of property (Article 1 para. 1 of Protocol No. 1 - Peaceful enjoyment of possessions)
Aleš Pejchal;André Potocki;Ann Power-Forde;Ganna Yudkivska;Helena Jäderblom;Mark Villiger;Vincent A. De Gaetano
5. Both applicants were born in 1938 and live in the city of Lugansk and in the town of Zhovti Vody, Ukraine, respectively. 6. Both applicants have the special status of “a child of war” (see paragraph 17 below). From 1 January 2006 they were entitled to a special supplement to their pensions in the amount of 30% of the minimum pension in accordance with section 6 of the Children of War Social Protection Act (Закон України “Про соціальний захист дітей війни”). 7. In May 2008 the first applicant instituted court proceedings against the Artemovskyy District Department of the Pension Fund of Ukraine and the Lugansk Regional Main Department of the State Treasury of Ukraine, asking them to recalculate his pension for 2006-08, to determine the amount of and to pay him the outstanding indexed debt, and to pay his pension in the recalculated amount in the future. The first applicant also claimed compensation for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage, and legal expenses. 8. On 22 July 2008 the Lugansk Regional Administrative Court held that in 2006 section 6 of the Children of War Social Protection Act had been suspended by the State Budget Act 2006. In return the State Budget Act had empowered the Cabinet of Ministers to set up a mechanism for a pension increase. However, because in 2006 no such mechanism had been set up, the first applicant’s claims relating to 2006 had to be rejected. 9. The court further found that in 2007 section 6 had again been suspended, and in 2008 it had been modified by the State Budget Acts for the relevant years. However, this modification was found to be unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court on 9 July 2007 and 22 May 2008. The court consequently held that the State Pension Fund should recalculate the first applicant’s pension for the periods between 9 July and 31 December 2007 and as of 22 May 2008. 10. On 19 December 2008 the Donetsk Administrative Court of Appeal upheld that decision. 11. On 28 July 2010 the Higher Administrative Court dismissed the applicant’s appeal on points of law. 12. In December 2009 the second applicant instituted proceedings in the Zhovtovodsky Town Court against the Pension Fund, asking for recalculation of his pension from January 2006. 13. On 2 March 2010 the court found in part for the second applicant. It held that the second applicant was entitled to the supplement from the date of the decision of the Constitutional Court (9 July 2007) and not from 1 January 2006. The court further held that the Pension Fund should recalculate the second applicant’s pension for the periods between 9 July and 31 December 2007 and between 22 May 2008 and 2 March 2010. 14. On 10 August 2010 the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Court of Appeal upheld this decision. The decision of the Court of Appeal was final. 15. On 14 February 2011 the second applicant instituted a second set of proceedings in the Zhovtovodsky Town Court claiming payment of the above-mentioned supplement to his pension starting from 3 March 2010. 16. On 17 May 2011 the court found for the second applicant and held that the Pension Fund should recalculate the applicant’s pension from 3 March 2010. On 14 October 2011 the Dnipropetrovsk Administrative Court of Appeal upheld this decision.