THE FACTS Whereas the common elements of the four Applications can be summarised as follows: The Applicant is a German citizen born in 1910 and living in Hamburg. His four Applications concern similar although not identical facts. In each instance he has brought civil law-suits against firms for which he had been a commercial agent and he alleges that he has never received any decision from the competent Courts. Therefore he lodged constitutional appeals in all four cases, but allegedly the Federal Constitutional Court, too, failed to give a decision. The Applicant has submitted only very few documents in support of his Applications. Upon several requests of the Secretary to the Commission he has replied that he could submit no further documents, since he had received no further communications from the Courts concerned. On 17th December, 1966, the Commission has decided to join the four Applications in accordance with Rule 39 of the Rules of Procedure and to ask the agent of the Federal Government for information as to the state of the proceedings both before the ordinary courts and before the Federal Constitutional Court. By letter of 16th January, 1967, the agent of the Federal Government submitted to the Commission detailed information together with photocopies of the relevant documents from which it appears that, in fact, the Applicant had accepted a settlement in one case before the Regional Court and that in all other cases both the ordinary courts and the Federal Constitutional Court had given decisions before the introduction of the present Applications and that the Applicant had received these decisions. By registered letter of 2nd February, 1967, the Secretary to the Commission sent the Applicant a copy of the information and copies of the documents received from Mr. Bertram (Agent of the Federal Government) and invited him to make before 15th February, 1967 any comments which he might think appropriate. This letter was returned on 8th March, 1967 marked "non réclamé". Whereas the facts particular to each of the Applications as appearing from the submissions of the Applicant and from the information obtained from the agent of the Federal Government may be summarised as follows: I. Application No. 2364/64 (a) Submissions of the Applicant: This complaint concerns a law-suit before the Regional Court (Landgericht, Kammer für Handelssachen) at Kempten (file No. ...). In spite of repeated requests by the Secretary to the Commission, he has submitted no documents concerning these proceedings but only presents the following facts: In July, 1961, he brought an action for a statement of account and for payment of commissions against a stocking factory at Lindau for which he had been a commercial agent. On .. November, 1961, the Court, after having heard the evidence, decided to deliver a written judgment. However, according to the Applicant, no judgment was passed or any further action taken by the Court. For this reason the Applicant lodged on .. April, 1964, a constitutional appeal (Verfassungsbeschwerde) which was registered by the Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht) under No. ... . But, according to the Applicant, this Court too, failed to take a decision and he received no further communication. He complains that both Courts, in violation of Article 6, paragraph (1), of the Convention, have denied him a decision within a reasonable time. (b) Information obtained from the agent of the Federal Government: The claim brought on .. July, 1961 before the Regional Court (Landgericht, Kammer für Handelssachen) at Kempten (file No. ...) was rejected on .. February, 1962 by a written judgment according to Article 128, paragraph 2, of the Code of Civil Procedure. The judgment was notified to the Applicant's lawyer on .. March, 1962, and again to him personally on .. August, 1963. The constitutional appeal (file No. ...) lodged by the Applicant on .. April, 1964 was rejected (nicht zur Entscheidung angenommen) as being inadmissible on .. July, 1964 by a committee of three judges of the Federal Constitutional Court. In a letter of .. July, 1964, the Applicant acknowledged receipt of this decision but alleged that it was not in proper form, since it did not bear the seal of the Court, the original signatures of the judges and the words "IM NAMEN DES VOLKES". II. Application No. 2584/65 (a) Submissions of the Applicant: This complaint concerns a law-suit before the District Court (Amtsgericht) of Lindau (file No. ...). He has submitted no documents concerning these proceedings but only lays before the Commission the following facts: In 1961 he brought proceedings for payment of commissions against a stocking factory at Lindau for which he had been a commercial agent. The judgment was fixed to be given on .. January, .. February, .. April, 1962, but never pronounced in fact. On .. October, 1962 the matter was again adjourned until .. November, 1962, when the competent judge, Oberamtsrichter K, refused to hear the Applicant. Again, judgment was never pronounced. For this reason, the Applicant lodged, on .. April, 1964, a constitutional appeal (Verfassungsbeschwerde) which was registered by the Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht) under No. ... But, according to the Applicant, this Court, too, failed to take a decision and he received no further communication. He complains that both Courts, in violation of Article 6, paragraph (1), of the Convention, have denied him a decision within a reasonable time. (b) Information obtained from the agent of the Federal Government: The claim brought by the Applicant in July, 1961 before the District Court at Lindau (file No. ...) was rejected on .. April, 1964 by a default judgment as the Applicant, although summoned, had not appeared. A copy of the judgment was sent to the Applicant on .. April, 1964. The length of the proceedings is said to be due to the fact that only upon repeated requests the Applicant presented his case in a coherent manner (mehrfach zu einer geschlossenen Begründung seiner Klage angehalten), that he requested several adjournments, that he lodged numerous hierarchical appeals (Dienstaufsichtsbeschwerden) and demanded that the proceedings should be stayed pending the decision on these appeals. The constitutional appeal (file No. ...) lodged by the Applicant on .. April, 1964, was rejected as being inadmissible by a committee of three judges of the Federal Constitutional Court on .. June, 1964. On .. July, 1964 the Applicant acknowledged receipt of the decision but also objected to its form. III. Application No. 2662/65 (a) Submissions of the Applicant: This complaint concerns a law-suit before the Regional Court (Landgericht, 1. Zivilkammer) of Kempten (file No. ...). In spite of repeated requests by the Secretary to the Commission, the Applicant has submitted no documents but only presents the following facts: In 1963, he brought an action for a statement of account against a stocking factory at Lindau for which he had been a commercial agent. On .. April, 1964, he paid the costs due at the filing of an action. However, according to the Applicant, no judgment was given or any other action taken by the Court. For this reason, the Applicant lodged on .. April, 1964, a constitutional appeal (Verfassungsbeschwerde) which was registered by the Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht) under No. ... . But, according to the Applicant, this Court, too, failed to take a decision and he received no further communication. He complains that both Courts, in violation of Article 6, paragraph (1),of the Convention, have denied him a decision within a reasonable time. (b) Information obtained from the agent of the Federal Government: The claim brought on .. April, 1963, before the Regional Court at Kempten (file No. ..., later ...) was rejected on .. April, 1964 by a default judgment, since on that date no lawyer appeared on behalf of the Applicant, his second lawyer on whom the summons for this hearing had been served having withdrawn from the case two weeks before. A copy of the judgment was sent to the lawyer on ..April, 1964, and the Applicant had knowledge of it by a taxed bill of costs (Kostenfestsetzungsbeschluss) which was served on him on .. April, 1964. The constitutional appeal (file No. ...) lodged by the Applicant on .. April, 1964, was rejected as being inadmissible by a committee of three judges of the Federal Constitutional Court, on .. July, 1964. In this case, too, the Applicant acknowledged receipt of the decision on .. July, 1964, but objected to the form of the decision. By a letter of .. July, the Applicant was informed by the Federal Constitutional Court that the decision given in this and in the two above-mentioned cases as well as those given with regard to 8 further constitutional appeals lodged by him in the same year, were final and could not be attacked any more. V. Application No. 2748/66 (a) Submissions of the Applicant: This complaint concerns a law-suit before the Regional Court (Landgericht, Kammer für Handelssachen) of Ulm (file No. ...), against an underwear and clothing factory for which he had been a commercial agent until his contract was allegedly terminated on .. October, 1960 without notice. On .. November, 1960 a lawyer at Ulm filed on his behalf a claim for compensation under Article 89 b of the Commercial Code (Handelsgesetzbuch) and for a declaration of the factory's liability for any further damages. On .. July, 1961, the Court decided to hear evidence from both parties on .. September, 1961. However, according to the Applicant no further action was taken by the Court and no judgment pronounced. He states that his lawyer in Ulm and the lawyers acting for him in Hamburg failed to pursue the claim and he accuses these lawyers of collusion with the opposite party. On .. October, 1965, he lodged a constitutional appeal (Verfassungsbeschwerde) which was registered by the Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht) under No. ... But, according to the Applicant, this court, too, failed to take a decision and he received no further communication. He complains that both courts in violation of Article 6, paragraph (1), of the Convention, have denied him a decision within a reasonable time. (b) Information obtained from the agent of the Federal Government: The law-suit instituted on .. November, 1960, by the Applicant's lawyer before the Regional Court (Landgericht, Kammer für Handelssachen) at Ulm (file No. ...) was settled by the lawyers of both parties in the presence of the Applicant at a hearing on .. October, 1961, to the effect that the defendant's firm had to pay 3,500 DM to the Applicant and that the latter withdrew his complaint. The constitutional appeal (file No. ...) lodged by the Applicant on .. October, 1965, was rejected as being inadmissible on .. December, 1965. THE LAW Whereas Article 27, paragraph (2) (Art. 27-2), of the Convention provides that "the Commission shall consider inadmissible any petition submitted under Article 25 (Art. 25), which it considers an abuse of the right of petition"; Whereas the Applicant has deliberately misled the Commission by his false statements that he had received no further communications from the Courts concerned, although, in fact, he had accepted a settlement in one case before the Regional Court and received decisions in all other cases and even acknowledged receipt of them; whereas this clearly constitutes an abuse of the right of petition within the meaning of Article 27, paragraph (2) (Art. 27-2); Now therefore the Commission declares this Application INADMISSIBLE.