BRATISLAVA, April 18, (WEBNOVINY) — The foremost task of the new management of the Justice Ministry is to calm down and depoliticize the judiciary, Prime Minister Robert Fico told a news conference on Wednesday after he introduced into office Justice Minister Tomas Borec. The prime minister commented that in the past months, there was strong polarization in the department. He thus decided to appoint to the ministerial post a person who cannot be perceived as standing on either side of the barricade, Fico said. With regard to the deputy justice minister, who was a judge before her appointment, the prime minister does not see a problem with her return to the judge’s seat after her term ends. He believes that cooperation of the minister, coming from legal practice and who also served as arbitrator, and the deputy minister – a judge, will move the ministry ahead. „The tandem of Minister Tomas Borec and State Secretary Monika Jankovska is formed well,” he stressed. The new minister is taking the matter of calming down the situation in the justice system seriously and wants to use all standard instruments to achieve it.
The Government’s Legislative Council, headed by minister Borec, should also be transformed. Prime Minister Fico said that they agree with the justice minister that laws should be amended only when needed and the legislative process should calm down, too. The Government’s Legislative Council or parliamentary committees should do a better portion of work in this area, so that parliament’s plenum does not formulate laws, but only debate them and vote on them. The minister aims at forming a quality legislative council by inviting law experts from various fields. Borec maintains that the quality of the justice system rests in, among others, avoiding frequent changes. „When we make changes, we will measure twice and cut once“, he said.
The fight against corruption will be an important task, too. The prime minister asked the minister to be uncompromising and respond immediately to proven corrupt behavior. The justice minister wants to focus on eliminating protracted court proceedings and improve enforceability of laws, which in his opinion is very low.
Justice Minister Tomas Borec is to present more concrete steps he plans to take after the government program statement is prepared.
SITA