Constitutional Court Judge Peter Straka. (source: TASR)
Prime Minister and leader of the Smer party, Robert Fico, has described the decision of the Constitutional Court regarding the amendment of the criminal laws as a 100:0 victory over the “hateful opposition.” However, the court’s decision, published in full on July 19, tells a different story.
The Constitutional Court judges indicate that the government was using criminal law for political purposes. They also note that the government created more favourable conditions for selected politicians, oligarchs, and other prominent individuals.
In the 117-page decision, which includes a 20-page dissenting opinion by Judge Peter Straka, the judges explain that while they observed illegal procedures by the ruling coalition (Smer/Hlas/Slovak National Party), they could not intervene because the actions had not yet reached an intensity that would make them unconstitutional.
Judge Straka, who served as the rapporteur in this case, has delivered the most open criticism to politicians. He indicates that the overlap of politics into criminal prosecution has recently taken on unprecedented dimensions.
“It is naive to think that only one side of the barricade is responsible for this democratically unacceptable phenomenon – everyone is accountable,” warns Straka.
