ECHR awards Maltese man €445,000 for land expropriated in 1974

The European Court of Human Rights today awarded Peter Azzopardi €445,000, plus any tax that may be chargeable, in compensation for land expropriated in 1974. Mr Azzopardi was also awarded €6,000, plus any tax that may be chargeable, for costs and expenses. The monies are to be paid within three months. The court heard that the land had been taken for the construction of a reservoir. In 1992, the owners were offered €18,050 for the acquisition. While some of the parties accepted the sum offered, others, including the applicant, objected to the amount by means of a judicial letter. The applicant made a counter-claim for €559,050. But the law at the time did not provide for any procedure allowing the applicant to initiate proceedings for compensation. In the 1990s it was confirmed, through case law, that if a request was made by anyone in a position similar to the applicant’s, the courts could set a time limit within which the authorities were obliged to initiate such proceedings. The applicant claimed he repeatedly solicited the authorities to process his case, but to no avail. In 2004, the public authorities instituted proceedings before the Land Adjudication Board to determine...