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SDKU-DS Plans More Public Scrutiny of Courts and Judiciary
Tuesday 27 April 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Kosice, April 21 (TASR) - Opposition SDKU-DS party on Tuesday singled out enforceability of the law in Slovakia as one of the key planks of its manifesto for the June 12 election.
"It turns out from the party meetings with the public and entrepreneurs that the law enforceability and state of justice is a major problem which is currently a brake on the business sector and jobs growth," said SDKU-DS lawmaker and presidium member Lucia Zitnanska.
Assessing the state of the rule of law and justice in the country, Zitnanska criticised the courts which she says act unfairly and are not trusted by people. "Even the Constitutional Court doesn't work 100 percent the way it should ... most of its judges were appointed by the current ruling coalition and I am convinced that it is apparent in the Court's decision-making," she said.
The Constitutional Court, according to her, does not assign legal cases to judges randomly, eschewing decision-making on politically sensitive cases. Among them are submissions on the law on social insurance of December 2007, on the Press Act of September 2008 and on the legislation governing health insurers the hearing on which was adjourned indefinitely by the court.
Zitnanska further criticised that the court does not publish every judgement, for example, on the construction of a landfill in Pezinok (Bratislava region) – which is being protested against by town residents. It is therefore imperative that the courts and judiciary are made open to public control. SDKU-DS proposes a package of measures ensuring that judges' robes are only donned by the finest lawyers and judgements are of the highest possible quality.
SDKU-DS wants to open courts to the public in the event of getting into the government within 100 days. "This is a key measure - making each decision public, also those of the Constitutional Court. Openness for us means that court hearings will be recorded and that people will be able to report corruption anonymously by phone and that we will make possible the public monitoring of courts," she said.
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