During the tenure of former Justice Minister Lucia Žitňanská, a disciplinary proceeding was launched against the Supreme Court Chairman Štefan Harabin, as he refused to allow a Finance Ministry audit in 2010. In 2011, the Slovak Constitutional Court punished him with a 70-percent reduction of his monthly salary for one year.
Harabin turned to the European Court for Human Rights (ECHR) as he claimed his right to unbiased trial was violated. On November 20, 2012, the ECHR have him right and recommended the Constitutional Court to rule anew on the matter. It refused Harabin’s demand of non-material damage compensation of €100,000 and lost income of €50,000 and granted him only a compensation of €3,000.
On October 29, the Constitutional Court led by its Chairwoman Ivetta Macejková refused the renewal of court proceeding with a majority of votes, the TASR newswire wrote. The proposal was decided by ten judges, two CC judges were excluded from the proceeding and one judge was on sick leave. judges Ľubomír Dobrík, Milan Ľalík and Ivetta Macejková attached their oppositional stance to the verdict. The CC also issued a ruling in the matter of Harabin’s complaints against the bias of constitutional judges Ľudmila Gajdošíková, Ján Luby, Sergej Kohut and Ladislav Orosz. The judges Kohut and Orosz were excluded from their function as judges in the due case.
(Source: TASR)
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
