Slovak Bar Association rejects Minister Šutaj Eštok’s complaint against lawyer

The Slovak Bar Association (SAK) has rejected a disciplinary complaint filed by Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok against lawyer Peter Kubina. The complaint, filed in April, sought disciplinary action following Kubina’s public statements regarding the Minister’s legal losses involving his clients.

The SAK Review Commission deemed the complaint unfounded, ruling that Kubina’s remarks constituted evaluative judgments based on factual court decisions rather than unsubstantiated claims. The Commission emphasized the importance of freedom of expression, noting that public figures and politicians must voluntarily subject themselves to public scrutiny and endure criticism that is often harsher than in private professional settings.

Kubina characterized the attempt as an effort to harass an inconvenient lawyer for performing his professional duties. He criticized the use of Ministry resources for such actions, pointing to a growing number of court rulings that have found the Ministry's procedures to be unlawful.