A NEW round of the Judicial Council chair election will be announced later this week, current Judicial Council chairman Štefan Harabin, whose tenure is set to expire on June 22, confirmed on June 16, as reported by the TASR newswire.
Harabin, who failed to get elected in the first round, cannot run for re-election. When asked whether he would be interested in running later if no hopeful is elected this time, Harabin replied that he will not engage in speculation.
Evaluating his tenure, Harabin underlined that when he took over the Supreme Court in 2009, court proceedings lasted four years on average, but now that time has been cut to a year.
“The fact that the centre-right parties reject me and the centre-left doesn’t recommend me is the best kind of endorsement in my book,” claimed Harabin, as quoted by TASR, adding that even businesses reject him, which he sees as an indication that he can’t be bought.
Harabin reiterated his negative stance on security screenings for judges.
“If there were a genuine motivation to clear public life of corruption, bribes, ‘tunnellers’ [embezzlers], cheats and thieves, then those security screenings should also apply to government members, state secretaries, MPs and tax and customs office directors,” he asserted.
Harabin was elected the chairman of the Penal College of the Supreme Court on June 16, with 11 out of 16 votes, the Sme daily reported. Harabin, who was the only candidate for the post, will replace Judge Harald Stiffel, who was dismissed after he reached 65 years of age.
Source: TASR, Sme
Compiled by Michaela Terenzani from press reports.
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information
presented in its Flash News postings.
