PEOPLE want a change in the top post of the judiciary, president-elect Andrej Kiska believes. Therefore he called on the members of the Judicial Council to vote responsibly in the election of the Supreme Court head, scheduled for May 19.
“As the elected president I have the right to demand from the Judicial Council members to fully grasp what a huge responsibility they have,” Kiska told a press conference on May 14, as quoted by the TASR newswire. He did not comment on specific candidates, but appealed to the Council members to vote in such way that would help restore trust in the judiciary.
“Judges will have to change the situation in the judiciary,” Kiska said, as quoted by TASR. “On Monday they will either start [to do this], or they will miss and waste this opportunity.”
Kiska believes the judiciary should be the backbone of society and guarantee that the laws are valid equally for everyone. As such, the judiciary needs wise and generally respected moral authorities at its helm.
The election of the Supreme Court president, who also serves as the Judicial Council chairman, is slated for Monday, May 19. Current Supreme Court President Štefan Harabin is running for re-election. He is challenged by Judge Jana Bajánková, who was nominated by Justice Minister Tomáš Borec, and Zuzana Ďurišová, nominated by the For Open Justice association, known for its critical stance towards Harabin.
Harabin’s term ends on June 23.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Michaela Terenzani from press reports.
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information
presented in its Flash News postings.
