JUDGES' ASSOCIATION LEADER CRITICISES DRAFT AMENDMENTS TO COURTS

ZAGREB, June 23 (Hina) - The head of the Croatian judges' association, Vladimir Gredelj, described draft amendments and supplements to the Courts' Law as utterly unacceptable. Those amendments have been drafted by a working group led by Croatian Justice Minister Stjepan Ivanisevic. According to an open letter, written by Gredelj, the draft act on amendments was not in compliance with the Constitutional principle on the division of authorities, independence of the judiciary and relevant international acts. Justice Minister proposed such an act that he could ask from the Croatian national parliament to make it possible for him "to get the status of 'Pharaoh' at the top of the pyramid of the judicial authorities," Gredelj said. Under the minister's proposal, Justice Minister will appoint the court's presidents, launch procedures for their impeachment, ensure evidence and decide on relieving somebody from duty and so on. In addition, the minister's decision and decree is final which implies that nobody can re-consider it in a regular procedure. According to the letter, the amendments would allow that the minister can do everything but nobody can do anything against his decisions. For Gredelj, it is also indicative that the Minister Ivanisevic has failed to mention criteria under which he would appoint or replace courts' presidents. On the other hand, the Minister cited a lack of criteria for the appointment of judges by the State Judicial Council as the main argument for giving the negative mark to the work of this judicial body. (hina) jn ms