UHS COMPLAINS ABOUT SITUATION IN CROATIAN JUSTICE SYSTEM

ZAGREB, Sep 22 (Hina) - The Association of Croatian Judges (UHS) on Monday sent the European Association of Judges a report on the unsatisfactory situation in Croatia's judiciary and constant meddling by the executive government into the independence of the judicial government, president of the UHS Vladimir Gredelj said following an extraordinary session of the UHS Administrative Committee. #L# Gredelj expects the European association to conclude such measures that will certainly deter all future politicians from meddling in Croatia's judiciary and finally realise that the judicial government must be immune to political changes. Gredelj confirmed objections that his report was one-sided, justifying it by explaining that it represented the UHS's opinion of the situation in the judiciary. He believes that there has been no reform in the judiciary but rather that a revolution is taking place and that the government's measures are not leading Croatia towards Europe but drawing it further away. He noted that Prime Minister Ivica Racan had not responded to a single invitation and that it as humiliating that the association had been negotiating for the past three months to arrange an appointment with parliament president Zlatko Tomcic. The UHS Administrative committee supports the dissatisfaction of the general assembly of the Supreme Court concerning the decreased funding from the state budget for the judiciary. He warned that the executive and some people in the judicial government were directly hampering reforms in the judiciary. (Hina) sp it