Slovak Constitutional Court strikes down judicial amendment

The Constitutional Court of the Slovak Republic has ruled that certain provisions of a government amendment to the law on judges and prosecutors are unconstitutional. The ruling specifically addresses changes to the disciplinary proceedings for judges, which the court found to be in conflict with the Constitution regarding the selection of disciplinary senators.

Opposition party Progressive Slovakia stated that the ruling prevents the Ministry of Justice from gaining undue political influence over the judiciary. They argued that the amendment sought to shift power away from the Supreme Administrative Court and into the hands of different judges to ensure political control over disciplinary matters.

The Ministry of Justice responded by noting that while the court did not challenge the principle of two-instance disciplinary proceedings, the ministry maintains that such a guarantee is essential for legal certainty and preventing errors or bias. The ministry stated it is awaiting the full written justification of the court's decision before providing a comprehensive response.