The brief overview of the 9th session of the Judicial Council of the Slovak Republic

On the first  day of the 9th session of the Judicial Council of the Slovak Republic, members of the Judicial Council elected candidates for international judicial posts, namely:

Mr Michal Kianička, candidate for a judge at the General Court of the European Union

Ms Zuzana Vikarská, candidate for a judge at the European Court of Human Rights

Mr Marián Giba, candidate for a judge at the European Court of Human Rights

Mr Radoslav Procházka, candidate for a judge at the European Court of Human Rights

On the second and third day of the 9th session of the Judicial Council, the proceedings continued in accordance with the approved programme and the Judicial Council adopted several important  decisions.

The Judicial Council elected Judge Viktor Marko as a member of the selection committees for the selection of judges and presidents of courts.

After Mr Ján Mazák has  resigned from the membership in the Permanent Ethics Commission of the Judicial Council, it was necessary to fill the missing position. At this session, the Judicial Council decided that the vacant position would be taken by a member of the Judicial Council, Mr  Peter Šamko.

Lively discussion was about the Report on the Rule of Law 2023. At the end of the extensive discussion, a resolution was adopted by which the Judicial Council postponed this point until the next meeting. The representative of the Slovak Republic before the European Court of Human Rights will be invited to this meeting and the responsible representative of the Government of the Slovak Republic will be invited too, in order to clarify the causes and status of  not executed judgments of the European Court of Human Rights concerning Slovakia.

The Judicial Council also decided on the prerequisites for judicial competence in the case of four male and female candidates for the position of a judge. The discussed candidates finally convinced the members of the Judicial Council and members decided that all four meet the prerequisites for judicial competence, which guarantee that they will properly perform the function of a judge.

An extensive and interesting discussion among the members of the Judicial Council was provoked by the current issue of judicial ethics in relation to journalists. This agenda was proposed for the 9th session by four members of the Judicial Council. Due to the absence of the judge to whom this point was concerned, the Judicial Council decided to postpone it until the next session and at the same time invite this judge again.