BRATISLAVA, January 18, (WEBNOVINY) — More than 80 percent of respondents among citizens in a representative survey conducted by the Institute for Public Affairs (IVO) about the amended law on judges and lay judges consider introducing regular assessment of judges‘ work once in five years and publication of an annual report on their work a correct or rather correct measure. Only a marginal group counting four percent considers it incorrect. Fifteen percent of those polled were unable to answer the question. Before the amendment came into effect, judges‘ work was not scrutinized in this way. If the result of the screening is extremely negative over several evaluation periods, the judge can lose his/her position.
The survey also shows that experts voiced unambiguous support to the introduction of the judges‘ evaluation when 50 percent of an expert panel consider it definitively correct while 43 percent incline to the opinion that it is rather correct. Also judges gave massive, though a little bit lower support to the amendment. According to 62 percent of them the introduction of the evaluation of judges’ work is definitively correct while 20 percent consider the measure rather correct.
The second question in the survey regarded the revision of the Civil Procedures Act enabling courts to order public offices to provide information that citizens require from them. Fifty-three percent of respondents expect the amendment to improve the attitude of citizens to information while 29 percent anticipate no changes and only five percent expect the situation to worsen. Thirteen percent of respondents were unable to express their opinion. Experts however are much more positive in their expectations when 96 percent are positive. Positive expectations prevail also among judges when 15 percent said the situation should definitively improve and 59 percent hold the opinion that it will probably improve. Twenty-six percent of judges expect the state in this sphere will not change. Just like experts, judges do not expect any deterioration.
SITA
