Maria Kolikova (source: Sme - Jozef Jakubčo )
Slovakia’s court map is being redrawn, although not exactly in the way that Justice Minister MÁRIA KOLÍKOVÁ originally intended. After a lengthy legislative process and some major disagreements between coalition partners, the Justice Ministry is now ready to turn the new map from plan into reality.
In an interview with The Slovak Spectator, Kolíková describes the forthcoming changes and the effects she hopes they will bring, and addresses concerns about the unpredictability of the legislative process under the government of which she is a member.
Lawyers and investors have long complained about the unpredictability of the legislative process. You yourself strongly criticised the recent fast-tracked procedure used to pass the package of measures tabled by Finance Minister Igor Matovič. But the same process has been used to approve other laws, including your own court map, where some changes were made only shortly before the vote in parliament. Has this coalition given up using the standard legislative process?
I would avoid talking about fast-tracked procedures linked to the pandemic and public health protection that required quick and effective measures. These affected health protection as well as securing the work of companies that did not have the possibility of online meetings of their statutory bodies and so on. The truth is that now we are facing a legislative measure that, I am convinced, coarsely negates the measures we have agreed on for passing laws, even though the conditions for a fast-tracked procedure have not been fulfilled. That is why I stood up against it. It is obviously unusual for a minister to speak up in parliament against another minister, but I believe that it was necessary since the comments of other ministers were not taken into account due to the speed of the process, regarding the impacts on everyone and the financial costs that it entails. I understand that the business community is disturbed when they see the legislative and executive branches of government act as though they can just do what they like to carry out any idea if they think it is good. Well, they can – but through the standard legislative process.
But this is not the only example; it has happened repeatedly. Is this even an issue within the coalition: are the coalition partners interested in getting back on track with using standard legislative procedures?
