LOWER HOUSE ON AMENDMENTS TO LAW ON STATE JUDICIAL COUNCIL

ZAGREB, Dec 15 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament's House of Representatives on Friday continued its 9th session by a discussion on amendments to the Law on the State Judicial Council. Early this year, the Constitutional Court assessed that numerous regulations of the Law on the State Judicial Council were unconstitutional, therefore they have been cancelled. In order to fulfill those "legal blanks" by the end of this year, amendments to the law, which should protect the judiciary and ensure its independence, have been motioned, Deputy Justice Minister Ranko Marijan said. Some regulations have already been defined by recent amendments to the Constitution. In line with this, the State Judicial Council is authorised to appoint and relieve judges, taking into consideration the opinion of a competent committee of the House of Representatives. In relation to the current model, the number of State Judicial Council members has been reduced from 15 to 11, of whom seven must be judges, Marijan added. The Lower House will appoint members of the State Judicial Council to a four-year mandate. Presidents of courts cannot be members of the State Judicial Council, and the Council president will be elected by secret voting to a two-year mandate. According to Marijan, the State Judicial Council's sphere of action has also been changed. In line with this, the Council is no longer competent for the appointment of state prosecutors, and state prosecutors cannot be members of the Council. The House of Representatives continued the discussion on the amendments to the Law on the State Judicial Council. Representatives should voice their opinions on another five bills. (hina) it