Hungarian judges warn of judicial capacity limits for asset recovery

Hungarian judicial officials are warning that accelerating criminal proceedings to facilitate asset recovery may fail without significant structural support. The government aims to expedite cases, particularly those involving the newly planned National Asset Recovery and Asset Protection Agency, to demonstrate tangible results in reclaiming public funds.

Judges argue that simply shortening deadlines is insufficient. They cite a critical lack of capacity at the Budapest Metropolitan Court, which is already heavily overburdened. One judge noted that large-scale cases can involve tens of thousands of pages of documentation that require review by multiple officials.

To successfully manage the expected influx of complex cases, experts and judges suggest that the government must provide more than just legislative changes. Necessary improvements include increasing the number of judges, clerks, and secretaries, raising salaries, providing more courtroom space, and potentially implementing online hearings or specialized civil procedure frameworks.