ZAGREB, June 18 (Hina) - President of the Croatian Association of Judges, Vladimir Gredelj, today requested that Vice-Premier Zeljka Antunovic hands in her resignation, and threatened the government with "the most radical moves" if it
does not distance itself from Antunovic's recent statements on the judiciary. At today's news conference Gredelj refused to define the radical moves. Commenting on Antunovic's statement that "nobody shot any judges", Gredelj asked "how many judges must be killed so she would notice". In the light of recent shootings of school professors by students, Antunovic said nobody was shooting judges when their ruling were too lenient. She stated she expects of the judiciary "to together with the government, resolve everything that was bad in this country in the past several years". Gredelj said this was just another example of the government authorities requesting of the judiciary to
ZAGREB, June 18 (Hina) - President of the Croatian Association of
Judges, Vladimir Gredelj, today requested that Vice-Premier Zeljka
Antunovic hands in her resignation, and threatened the government
with "the most radical moves" if it does not distance itself from
Antunovic's recent statements on the judiciary.
At today's news conference Gredelj refused to define the radical
moves. Commenting on Antunovic's statement that "nobody shot any
judges", Gredelj asked "how many judges must be killed so she would
notice".
In the light of recent shootings of school professors by students,
Antunovic said nobody was shooting judges when their ruling were
too lenient. She stated she expects of the judiciary "to together
with the government, resolve everything that was bad in this
country in the past several years".
Gredelj said this was just another example of the government
authorities requesting of the judiciary to implement state policy.
It is about time that politics leave the judiciary at peace so it can
do its job, he stressed.
Gredelj forwarded a letter to the parliament speaker, requesting
that the law by which judges' salaries are decreased by seven
percent be dismissed without discussion, as the decrease in
salaries, he said, was not founded.
Administrative Court judge Mirjana Juricic backed this request by
data according to which the salaries of judges after the announced
decrease, have fallen by a quarter in average in the past year and a
half.
The Supreme Court justice had a salary decrease from 20,000 kuna
(approx. US$2,350) to 14,205 kuna (approx. US$1,669), and the
lowest salary of magistrates fell from 6,250 to 5,682 kuna (about
US$668).
She recalled that salaries are a guarantee of the independence of
judges who are forbidden to have any side earnings, that the
constancy of judges' salaries has been guaranteed by European laws,
and that the government has not even cited the Montreal Declaration
which allows a decrease in judges' salaries only as part of
comprehensive economy measures.
Gredelj expressed regret that the justice minister was leaving
office for health reasons, but said he was glad Minister Ivanisevic
was leaving as he was incompetent.
I expect a competent person for the new minister, not an 'adequate'
person, Gredelj asserted.
(hina) lml