BRATISLAVA, May 30, (WEBNOVINY)- Slovak judges have elected eight new members of the eighteen-strong Judicial Council, the highest self-governing body of Slovakia’s judiciary. Within the next five years they will take part in appointing and dismissing judges and President and Vice President of the Supreme Court. Four of eight new members of the Council are judges favored by the head of the Judicial Council andd Supreme Court President Stefan Harabin. Before the election he announced that he is going to raise his hand for Igor Burger of the Supreme Court, his colleague Jana Bajankova, Imrich Volkai from the Kosice Regional Court and Dana Bystrianska, a judge of the Kosice I District Court.
Eight new members were selected among 22 candidates when two nominees gave up their candidacy before the election. In the Tuesday’s election 1,160 of 1,334 judges voted. The chief election commission however does not consider Harabin’s pre-election activity to be a problem. The commission says it recorded no objections about which it would have to decide. Apart from eight judges selected on Tuesday also parliament, government and president nominate their people to the Council while each of them has three nominees on the council. They do not necessarily to be judges but are required to have legal education and 15 years of practice. Yet, parliament is to pick two of its three nominees to repalce those whose tenure is nearing to its end. The head of the Judicial Council, Stefan Harabin respects the election result. He congratulated the winners and said he is looking forward to their cooperation.
SITA