ZAGREB, April 18 (Hina) - Justice Minister Ingrid Anticevic Marinovic on Thursday said that the government would not halt the procedure of appointing court presidents nor to set up s commission that would verify the legality of her
decisions.
ZAGREB, April 18 (Hina) - Justice Minister Ingrid Anticevic
Marinovic on Thursday said that the government would not halt the
procedure of appointing court presidents nor to set up s commission
that would verify the legality of her decisions.#L#
"My decisions are legal and if the government were to stop the
appointments then this would be against the law," Anticevic
Marinovic told Hina.
The president of the Association of Croatian Judges Vladimir
Gredelj on Tuesday called for the cessation of the appointment of
court presidents and for a government commission to be set up to
verify the legality of the minister's decision.
Minister Anticevic Marinovic claims the main selection criteria to
appoint 123 court judges was their qualifications and working
results and only four dissatisfied candidates lodged appeals to the
Administrative Court.
The implementation of her decision was forcefully prevented in the
Vrbovec Municipal Court where the outgoing Court President has the
support of Judge Gredelj and does not wish to allow the incoming
Court President take over.
Minister Anticevic Marinovic commented on the unsuccessful
attempts to take over the office in Vrbovac and said that the
handover would be conducted "in such a way that would be in keeping
with the jurisdiction of the relevant authorities and with the
law". She did not wish to explain or add anything more.
According to the Law on Courts, the Justice Minister during the
first round of appointment of court judges can but need not appoint
candidates from a list endorsed by the Judges' Council. The
selection process is repeated if the minister does not appoint at
least one candidate on the list.
(hina) sp sb