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The existence of the remedies in question must be sufficiently certain not only in theory but also in practice, failing which they will lack the requisite accessibility and effectiveness (see Horvat v. Croatia, no. 51585/99, § 38, ECHR 2001-VIII, and Vernillo v. France, judgment of 20 February 1991, Series A no. 198, pp.

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Finally, the Court recalls that in respect of the length of civil proceedings the issue how the applicant could have accelerated the proceedings does not relate to the exhaustion of domestic remedies but to the merits of the application, that is to say to the question if the applicant's conduct contributed to the length of proceedings (see, among other authorities, Horvat v. Croatia, cited above, § 46 and Hartman v. Czech Republic, no. 53341/99, § 60 ECHR 2003-VIII).

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Second, in respect of the substantiation of the constitutional complaint, the Court reiterates that, whereas Article 35 § 1 of the Convention must be applied with some degree of flexibility and without excessive formalism, it normally requires that the complaints intended to be brought subsequently before the Court should have been made to the appropriate domestic courts, at least in substance and in compliance with the formal requirements and time-limits laid down in the domestic law (see, among other authorities, Cardot v. France, judgment of 19 March 1991, Series A no. 200, p. 18, § 34).