ZAGREB, April 23 (Hina) - Justice Minister Ingrid Anticevic Marinovic has apologised to the judicial authorities and public for a serious mistake her ministry made by forwarding to courts a binding order instead of an instruction
regulating their conduct in distraint cases.
ZAGREB, April 23 (Hina) - Justice Minister Ingrid Anticevic
Marinovic has apologised to the judicial authorities and public for
a serious mistake her ministry made by forwarding to courts a
binding order instead of an instruction regulating their conduct in
distraint cases. #L#
The minister confirmed in a statement today that on March 20 her
assistant informed the presidents of all county courts that in
cases of distraint procedures in which the state is the distrainee
the courts should debit the drawing account of the state budget and
not the justice ministry.
The order prompted the Judges' Association to accuse the justice
minister of illegal and arrogant behaviour and encroachment upon
the independence of the judicial authority.
The minister explained that the Justice Ministry's senior
officials had decided to request that the State Prosecution, which
represents the state in distraint cases, propose that courts
conduct distraint by debiting the drawing account of the state
budget. This would not only remove the danger of the Justice
Ministry being prevented from operating normally in case its funds
were seized, but it would enable the distrainor to collect his
claims easier and faster, the ministry said in a statement.
The minister claims that the request, which the Ministry forwarded
to the State Prosecution, was intended to merely inform the courts,
however, the courts received an official letter written in the
style of a binding order.
The minister apologises on behalf of the ministry and her own behalf
to the judicial authority and the public over this serious mistake,
the ministry said in a statement.
(hina) rml sb