Statement by Marcela Kosová, President of the Judicial Council: Should Ján Mazák himself have filed the files?
On 19 February 2025 at 12.35 p.m. the Daily N, in response to the agenda item of the Judicial Council session ‘Result of the file audit at the Section of the President and Vice President of the Judicial Council’, published the following text:
"The former President of the Judicial Council rejects criticism related to the audit of files. He describes it as ‘a rather pathetic and embarrassing attempt to denigrate the former leadership of the Judicial Council’. According to Ján Mazák, the current President, Marcela Kosová, should understand after her years in the Judicial Council that the circulation of files and the order in the registry are the sole responsibility of the Office of the Judicial Council." Mazák explains that the files were submitted to him by the secretariat, where they were also returned to the Director or another employee for further action after being used. ‘Was Ms Kosová expecting me to personally carry and file the files in folders and make entries in the registry?’ asks Ján Mazák in response to the criticism levelled at him during the Judicial Council's meeting today."
Ján Mazák has publicly addressed questions to the President of the Judicial Council, to which she also responds publicly. "When a person is confronted with the truth and the facts, they have two options: to accept the criticism and realise their mistakes or to attack personally. The fact that Ján Mazák chose the second option does not surprise me and I am used to it. Of course, I understand, and it does not require years in the Judicial Council, that ‘the circulation of files and order in the registry is the sole responsibility of the Office of the Judicial Council of the Slovak Republic’, said Marcela Kosová. However, as she further explained, "this is only the case when the President of the Judicial Council does not usurp direct competence over a certain section, as Ján Mazák did. Therefore he is then responsible for the state of the registry and for the state of the files. If someone has managerial authority over something, they also have responsibility for ensuring that everything works".
The Rules of Organisation of the Office of the Judicial Council of the Slovak Republic, which were in force at the time when Ján Mazák was the President of the Judicial Council, state that “The Section of the President and Vice President of the Judicial Council is an organisational unit of the Office of the Judicial Council under the direct managerial responsibility of the President of the Judicial Council”. After Marcela Kosová took office as the President of the Judicial Council, the Rules of Organisation were amended so that the Section of the President and Vice President of the Judicial Council is under the direct managerial responsibility of the Head of the Office of the Judicial Council, as are all the other sections of the Office of the Judicial Council.
"The former President of the Judicial Council rejects criticism related to the audit of files. He describes it as ‘a rather pathetic and embarrassing attempt to denigrate the former leadership of the Judicial Council’. According to Ján Mazák, the current President, Marcela Kosová, should understand after her years in the Judicial Council that the circulation of files and the order in the registry are the sole responsibility of the Office of the Judicial Council." Mazák explains that the files were submitted to him by the secretariat, where they were also returned to the Director or another employee for further action after being used. ‘Was Ms Kosová expecting me to personally carry and file the files in folders and make entries in the registry?’ asks Ján Mazák in response to the criticism levelled at him during the Judicial Council's meeting today."
Ján Mazák has publicly addressed questions to the President of the Judicial Council, to which she also responds publicly. "When a person is confronted with the truth and the facts, they have two options: to accept the criticism and realise their mistakes or to attack personally. The fact that Ján Mazák chose the second option does not surprise me and I am used to it. Of course, I understand, and it does not require years in the Judicial Council, that ‘the circulation of files and order in the registry is the sole responsibility of the Office of the Judicial Council of the Slovak Republic’, said Marcela Kosová. However, as she further explained, "this is only the case when the President of the Judicial Council does not usurp direct competence over a certain section, as Ján Mazák did. Therefore he is then responsible for the state of the registry and for the state of the files. If someone has managerial authority over something, they also have responsibility for ensuring that everything works".
The Rules of Organisation of the Office of the Judicial Council of the Slovak Republic, which were in force at the time when Ján Mazák was the President of the Judicial Council, state that “The Section of the President and Vice President of the Judicial Council is an organisational unit of the Office of the Judicial Council under the direct managerial responsibility of the President of the Judicial Council”. After Marcela Kosová took office as the President of the Judicial Council, the Rules of Organisation were amended so that the Section of the President and Vice President of the Judicial Council is under the direct managerial responsibility of the Head of the Office of the Judicial Council, as are all the other sections of the Office of the Judicial Council.
