Caseload

The Human Rights Chamber commenced functioning at the end of March 1996.⁴³⁵ In its initial phase the Chamber had to operate with extremely limited resources and only after the caseload had started to increase was an administrative- and expertise-base established to facilitate the work. Just prior to the end of its mandate, the Human Rights Chamber was operating with 55 domestic and international judicial experts (lawyers). Although the contracting parties, pursuant to Annex 6, were fully responsible for the financing of the Human Rights Chamber, the representatives of the international community realised very soon that the Parties referred to in Annex 6 lacked the political will to give support to the Chamber. The influx of cases was increasing and reached such a scale that the Chamber was no longer able to deal with it by means of the resources at its disposal.

In the period between March 1996 and December 2003, the Human Rights Chamber registered a total of 15,169 applications, out of which 6,243 applications were finalised, amounting to 2,619 decisions of a different nature; there were 1,238 decisions on admissibility, 239 decisions on admissibility and merits or only on merits, 12 decisions on compensation for damages, 152 decisions on admissibility of requests for review and

9 revision decisions; there were also 959 strike-out decisions (erasing of applications) and 10 decisions of other kinds. On 31 December 2003, there were 8,926 cases pending.⁴³⁶