STATEMENT BY CROATIAN STATE JUDICIARY COUNCIL

ZAGREB, March 7 (Hina) - The state judiciary council today issued a statement on allegations from the brought constitutional action by candidates who have not been appointed as the judges of the Croatian Supreme Court and the president of the Croatian Administrative Court. Responding to the allegation that it has not explained reasons for not appointing those candidates as the judges of the Supreme Court, the state judiciary council says the Constitution and laws do not oblige it to give such an explanation in its written decision. Replying to the allegation that by appointing only 25 judges of the Supreme Court the state judiciary council has decreased the number which has been determined by the Justice Minister (who proposed the number 37), the council claims there are no regulations which say that all empty judges' positions have to be employed. The council responds to the claims that there have been no assessments of carrying out judges' duties and that the discussion on all candidates from the list drawn up by the Justice Minister has not been held. "The Justice Minister has found out which candidates meet conditions for the judges (of the Supreme Court), and submitted to the council the list with the candidates who meet conditions, regardless of the fact that no assessments of the fulfillment of the judges' duties of those candidates have been added on the list. Thus, the Justice Minister has assumed his position that the assessment of carrying out judges' duties is not a condition for appointing the judges, elected in accordance with present regulations, and the council accepts this fully," the statement reads. Responding to the allegation that the voting has been done on the grounds of an unlawfully devised list containing only 25 candidates and not on the grounds of the list drawn up by the Justice Minister, the council says that the list drawn up by the Minister is not a proposal but can serve only as the proof that those put on the list fulfill formal conditions for the judge. "No list has been devised on the session of the state judiciary council, but the council head, Milan Vukovic, has proposed that 25 persons from the list drawn up by the Minister should be appointed for the judges of the Croatian Supreme Court," according to the statement. "All other members of the council had also the right and possibilities to propose judges of the Croatian Supreme Court, but they did not have suggestions," according to the statement. (hina) jn mms 071956 MET mar 95