PRESIDENT Andrej Kiska appointed seven new judges on December 16, including Judita Gabonaiová Hrenčuková, whom he refused in August for serious doubts in the selection process. The Judicial Council however did not share his opinion and decided at its October session to submit the proposal for her appointment again.
“After longer consideration today I appointed all judges whom the Judicial Council have proposed and approved, though I still have my doubts,” Kiska said, as quoted by the SITA newswire, adding that in the past there were several cases of doubting the results of selection processes and the steps of the Judicial Council when considering the candidates for judicial posts.
Kiska also stressed that the selection process should be very careful, transparent and indisputable.
“I hope that the Judicial Council will succeed in passing such rules,” Kiska added.
The president first refused to appoint Gabonaiová Hrenčuková for several reasons. He disliked the fact that she did not succeed in any other selection process, as well as the fact that she works at the district court where she ran for the post while that her mother works as a judge at the same court. Moreover, the selection committee was appointed by the president of the very same court, SITA reported.
The president also pointed to the fact that Gabonaiová Hrenčuková won only after the oral part of the testing where she noticeably, but without any external supervision, surpassed the other candidates, according to SITA.
Other judges appointed on December 16 include Stanislava Padúchová, who will work at the district court in Brezno, and Ľuboš Murgaš, who will work at the court in Veľký Krtíš. Both won the selection processes at the time Lucia Žitňanská served as the justice minister. The Judicial Council however proposed their appointment only after Štefan Harabin left his double post of Supreme Court president and Judicial Council chair, SITA wrote.
Kiska also appointed Juraj Fujerik (court in Kežmarok), Tomáš Saraka (court in Kežmarok), Jana Smereková (court in Michalovce) and Andrej Radomský (court in Galanta).
Source: SITA
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
