ZAGREB, June 18 (Hina) - Following a meeting at the Prekrizje Villa on Tuesday, Prime Minister Ivica Racan and Supreme Court President Ivica Crnic stated that it was indisputable that all three branches of the government were
responsible for the situation in the judiciary and that an agreement had been reached over measures that each of the branches should undertake in reforms in the judiciary.
ZAGREB, June 18 (Hina) - Following a meeting at the Prekrizje Villa
on Tuesday, Prime Minister Ivica Racan and Supreme Court President
Ivica Crnic stated that it was indisputable that all three branches
of the government were responsible for the situation in the
judiciary and that an agreement had been reached over measures that
each of the branches should undertake in reforms in the judiciary.
#L#
At a closed meeting, representatives of the legislative, executive
and judicial authorities continued talks on reforms in the
judiciary and the directions taken since the commencement on May
20, following an initiative by Prime Minister Racan.
Within its authorities, the government will in two or three weeks
come up with a plan for short and long-term measures that must be
undertaken to ensure better efficiency of the judicial protection
for citizens and their property, Racan said after the meeting.
He said that a rebalance would not be made to the state budget for
the sake of reforms in the judiciary, however, some steps would need
to be taken immediately and funds would be made available from
budget reserves. He added that it was necessary to immediately fill
vacant positions with judges, advisors and court officials
particularly in courts with huge backlogs. Other immediate
measures will be to supply equipment and ensure further training
for judges.
According to Racan, participants in the meeting agreed that changes
already commenced to the criminal and civil law were most vital to
reforms in the judiciary and that tasks should be completed by the
end of the year. Crnic said that vital changes were required to the
distress law in order to prevent the spreading of court rulings not
being implemented. Increased discipline will not only refer to
clients but judges as well, he said.
Racan said that all three branches of the government were
independent of each other, however, for the purpose of better
efficiency in the judiciary they would have to work together.
Crnic called on judges to, within their material abilities, resolve
as many cases as possible as this was their constitutional and moral
obligation towards citizens, particularly with regard to cases
that have lasted for a long time or deal with sensitive social
matters. Judges in courts, particularly in Zagreb and Split, expect
not only verbal support for their increased work load, but concrete
support as well, he said.
Responding to a question about whether he felt responsible the
direction the trial for war crimes in Split's Lora military prison
was heading, Racan said he did not know to what measure the
government was responsible. He said, however, that he was not
personally satisfied with the way the trial was going because it
compromised the relevant institutions for that case.
Crnic rejected to respond to the same question stating that if
someone was not happy with court proceedings they could file a
complaint and only the Supreme Court was authorised to ascertain if
any unlawful activities occurred during proceedings.
He added that he objected to comments on current proceedings and
that any such comments including the Prime Minister's were not in
order.
Crnic said that the Justice Ministry and the Interior Ministry did
all they could to ensure the security of the witnesses from
Yugoslavia who did not show up to testify in that trial.
Commenting on the fact that he had partially agreed with Crnic's
objection, Racan said that the quality of the war crime trials
before Croatian courts could determine whether these be tried in
Croatia or at The Hague.
(hina) sp sb