Judge Juraj Kliment (source: TASR - Jakub Kotian)
A senior Slovak judge facing potential dismissal has chosen to fight all the charges made against him, despite one being legally void due to time limits.
Supreme Court Judge Juraj Kliment could have had one of three disciplinary charges dismissed on Tuesday, March 4 – a legal avenue that has benefited other judges and high-profile figures. Instead, he insisted that the case proceed in full, the Sme daily reports.
“I stand by my request that charge two is also heard,” Kliment told the disciplinary panel, convened by Justice Minister Boris Susko, a member of the ruling Smer party. Smer politicians have been calling for months for Kliment’s removal from the bench.
Kliment and his lawyer, Matúš Harkabus, argue that the case is politically motivated – specifically, in retaliation for Kliment’s 2022 ruling to place lawyer Marek Para in pre-trial detention. Para, a long-time legal representative for Smer, is now also an adviser to Prime Minister Robert Fico.
The charges against Kliment – formally filed by Susko in June 2024 – originate from Para himself. The most contentious allegation involves a remark Kliment made while ordering Para’s detention. At the time, Kliment warned that “no crime will go unpunished”. The government claims this undermined his judicial neutrality. Smer’s Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák, a lawyer, went so far as to describe Kliment as a judge who “couldn’t even settle a village dispute over half a pig.”
Susko also accuses the judge of allowing his panel to remand Para in custody before a final ruling on a bias objection had been issued. The final charge concerns an interview that Kliment gave to the Sme daily newspaper in which he explained why his panel did not wait for a definitive decision on the bias objection in Para’s case.
The hearing was also attended on Tuesday by Daniel Bombic, a neo-Nazi online influencer who is a favourite of the current government. Bombic is currently being prosecuted on extremism charges. He was recently extradited to Slovakia from the UK – but remains free while wearing an electronic ankle monitor.
Critics of Kliment's prosecution, including former justice minister Mária Kolíková, say the case against the judge is legally flawed. She dismissed Susko’s argument that the time limit for filing charges had not expired, noting that she had been aware, when minister in 2022, of Kliment’s statement but saw no grounds for action.
Despite legal doubts, the disciplinary proceedings are continuing. The case is expected to resume in late April. After Kliment’s testimony, closing arguments and a final ruling are expected.
This is the second disciplinary case Kliment has faced in recent months. In November, an administrative court penalised him for a physical altercation with another judge, Peter Paluda, reducing his salary by half for three months.
