Štefan Harabin, the chairman of Slovakia’s Judicial Council and president of the Supreme Court, said on April 7 that he views attendance by foreign diplomats at public disciplinary proceedings as “intimidation” of the members of the senates judging the cases.
"Just like Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák said, Slovakia is no banana republic. According to what the Foreign Affairs Ministry has found out, the British Foreign Affairs Ministry distanced itself from this activity by the British Ambassador to Slovakia (Michael Roberts), saying it was his private activity and not that of Britain," Harabin told the TASR newswire following a session of Judicial Council in Omšenie (Trenčín Region).
Roberts was one of a group of diplomats who recently attended disciplinary proceedings against judges who claim to have been targeted because they have stated opinions critical of Harabin.
Harabin added that he and the Judicial Council are “fully accepted” abroad, something which he said is proven by the number of meetings he has held with justice authorities outside Slovakia.
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.
