BRATISLAVA, March 7, (WEBNOVINY) — Top-level constitutional bodies in the state, which are supposed to guarantee impartiality of decisions, have for long been inactive when it comes to some serious matters, Justice Minister Lucia Zitnanska (SDKU) told a news conference on Wednesday in reaction to claims of Constitutional Court President Ivetta Macejkova. Zitnanska specified that for over eight months we have been waiting for the appointment of the new prosecutor general. “More than a year we have been waiting for the Constitutional Court to deal with disciplinary motions and I cannot be blind regarding the fact that courts are postponing trials regarding discrimination lawsuits to a date after elections. These are facts, while their link to the overall political situation is obvious,“ said the minister.
Earlier on Wednesday, Macejkova labeled last Thursday’s statements of Zitnanska unjustified, untrue and misleading. “The Constitutional Court of the Slovak Republic being an independent judicial organ protecting constitutionality does not intend to let itself to be embroiled in the pre-election fight of political parties,” she stated. The Constitutional Court does not deal with the second disciplinary motion against Supreme Court President Stefan Harabin since November 2010. It has been inactive since November 2010 in the case of so-called anti-discrimination lawsuits filed by hundreds of judges as well. In August 2011, another disciplinary motion against Stefan Harabin was lodged but absolutely nothing happens, complained Zitnanska a week ago. “It is necessary to name also other constitutional bodies that do not act and since the government’s collapse, their inactivity has become frightening,” she said.
Macejkova however argued today that the Constitutional Court acts regarding motions filed against Harabin. The Constitutional Court complied with the first disciplinary motion of the minister against Harabin while the Supreme Court president rushed to file a lawsuit against the Slovak Republic at the European Court for Human Rights. As far as the second motion against Harabin is concerned, the Constitutional Court adjourned temporarily the case until the European Court makes the decision on a request from the Slovak Constitutional Court. In the third and fourth cases, the disputing parties have objected to prejudice of judges. However, the plenum should discuss both matters soon, said Macejkova. She added that the court is also active regarding the complaint of Jozef Centes and promised that it will decide on his complain in the coming days.
SITA