Re-elected member of the Judicial Council of the Slovak Republic

Judges from the Eastern Slovak electoral district have re-elected Ľuboš Kunay, a judge of the Regional Court in Košice, as their representative at the Judicial Council of the Slovak Republic. 

The election of one member of the Judicial Council of the Slovak Republic by judges from the Eastern Slovak electoral district took place on 24 June 2026 at assemblies of judges held within this electoral district. The Eastern Slovak electoral region consists of the districts of the Regional Court in Košice, the Regional Court in Prešov, and the Administrative Court in Košice. 

The President of the Judicial Council of the Slovak Republic, Marcela Kosová, has announced the election for a new member of the Judicial Council of the Slovak Republic, to be elected by judges in the Eastern Slovak electoral district, following the upcoming end of the term of office of Ľuboš Kunay on 8 September 2026. 

Out of a total of 358 eligible voters, 225 ballots were cast, 216 of which were valid. As the only candidate standing for election, Ľuboš Kunay received all the valid votes.

Ľuboš Kunay was nominated for membership of the Judicial Council by the Council of Judges at the Regional Court in Košice, the Council of Judges at the Municipal Court Košice, and the Association of Judges of Slovakia.

Petra Príbelská, Chair of the Main Election Commission, announced the election results and addressed the re-elected member of the Judicial Council, Ľuboš Kunay, saying: „We believe that you will perform this important office conscientiously, independently and autonomously, in the public interest.“ 

The Vice-President of the Judicial Council of the Slovak Republic, Ayše Pružinec Eren, congratulated Ľuboš Kunay on his re-election as a member of the Judicial Council, stressing that “elections to the Judicial Council are always a significant event for the judiciary. They serve as a mirror for the nominated candidate, who can thereby assess their level of credibility, persuasiveness, and professional standing among colleagues. The fact that our colleagues from eastern Slovakia nominated the same judge, who has already served on the Judicial Council for the past five years, demonstrates that he enjoys broad trust, respect, and, above all, the support of the judicial community in which he serves. At the same time, it reflects recognition of his high professional qualities, moral integrity, and commitment to safeguarding the independence of one of the three branches of state power – the judiciary.”

The State Secretary of the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic Milan Hodás in his speech praised the ongoing substantive, professional and constructive communication between the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic and the Judicial Council of the Slovak Republic, emphasizing his belief that “mutual dialogue and cooperation based on respect for the constitutional competences of individual institutions are a necessary prerequisite for further strengthening the credibility of the judiciary. Allow me to assure you that the Ministry of Justice will continue to firmly uphold the principles of judicial independence, transparency, and trustworthiness as core pillars of a democratic rule-of-law state”.

Re-elected member of the Judicial Council of the Slovak Republic, Ľuboš Kunay, thanked his nominators for the nomination and all judges who voted for him, and said that when he first ran for this position, “colleagues may have known me from my decision-making and from ordinary working meetings. Now they can better assess my actual work within the Judicial Council, and it is even more valuable to me that they have once again expressed their support. Now I have experience with the Judicial Council functioning, which often brings more complex votes, which sometimes cause more difficult sleepless nights. In such moments, the support of my colleagues from the judicial community is particularly important, helping me to cope with these situations and giving me strength.”

Ľuboš Kunay, a re-elected member of the Judicial Council of the Slovak Republic, will begin his new term of office on 9 September 2026.