On 3rd January 2022, the Platform for Turkey, represented by the Presidents of the 4 main European Associations of Judges (Association of European Administrative Judges, AEAJ; the European Association of Judges, EAJ; Judges for Judges and Magistrates Européens pour la Démocratie et les Libertés, MEDEL), addressed a Letter to the members of the European Commission and European Council, demanding action to restore the Rule of Law in Turkey and to end the witch-hunt against judges. Continue reading Letter to the members of the European Commission and European Council
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Letter to German Federal Minister of Justice
On December 21st, the Presidents of the 4 European Associations of Judges (Association of European Administrative Judges, AEAJ; the European Association of Judges, EAJ; Judges for Judges and Magistrates Européens pour la Démocratie et les Libertés, MEDEL) drafted a letter concerning the precarious situation – with specific risk of death – of judges, prosecutors, lawyers and human rights activists in Afghanistan.
The letter was sent to the German Federal Minister of Justice. Continue reading Letter to German Federal Minister of Justice
Ukraine finally stops persecuting whistle-blower judge, and rules against corruption
The Kharkiv Court of Appeal has overturned the acquittal of a former Poltava deputy mayor who offered a bribe to Oktyabrsky District Court Judge Larysa Holnyk. The victory for those fighting corruption is partial and belated, but important, nonetheless, since up till now it was Judge Holnyk who suffered persecution for blowing the whistle on high-level corruption.
The events in question were back in 2014, when the then president of the Oktyabrsky District Court, Oleksandr Strukov passed a case to Holnyk involving an alleged administrative offence (under Article 172-7 of the Code of Administrative Offences) by the Mayor of Poltava Oleksandr Mamay. He was accused of having concealed a conflict of interest over a decision by the City Council on land distribution (in which the beneficiary was his step-daughter). Continue reading Ukraine finally stops persecuting whistle-blower judge, and rules against corruption
Letters of support for suspended Polish judges
Polish judges Maciej Ferek of the Regional Court in Kraków and Agnieszka Niklas-Bibik of the Regional Court in Słupsk were suspended, because they refused to recognise decisions made by judges appointed with involvement of the politicised National Council of the Judiciary.
The Good Lobby Profs have written letters of support to Judge Ferek and to Judge Niklas-Bibik, which Judges for Judges is proud to share and endorse.
Continue reading Letters of support for suspended Polish judges
Drastic overhaul of Polish Supreme Court proposed
The Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court of Poland is to be liquidated at the insistence of the European Union. Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party has seized this opportunity to propose a revolutionary reform of the entire Supreme Court. In a quartet of articles, Rzeczpospolita explains and criticizes this plan – that in its wake may reshuffle the judiciary as a whole.
Continue reading Drastic overhaul of Polish Supreme Court proposed
Letter of support for Polish judges’ association
The Constitutional Court of Poland denied the primacy of European law over national law in its ruling of 7 October 2021. The European Association of Judges takes note of this ‘devasting’ judgement with ‘great disappointment’ and finds it ‘totally clear’ to be ‘null and void’.
Its President Mr Duro Sessa therefore sent a letter of support to Iustitia, the Polish member association of the International Associations of Judges: ‘All principles we are fighting for are not for our sake but for the sake of the citizens. (…) The struggle of Iustitia is an inspiration for all judges in Europe.’
Kraków judges protest after forced transfers
Eleven judges of the District Court in Kraków refused to adjudicate with judges nominated by the new National Council of the Judiciary. Three of them have since undergone forced transfers to other divisions. Their colleagues organized the first ever all-day rotational protest in response to this ‘expression of repression by the authorities’.
Continue reading Kraków judges protest after forced transfers
Online evenement over situatie in Turkije
De International Commission of Jurists, de Amsterdamse Orde van Advocaten, Lawyers for Lawyers en Rechters voor Rechters organiseren op 5 oktober van 16.00 tot 17.30 uur een online evenement over de situatie van rechters en advocaten in Turkije.
Brief van NVvR en RvR over situatie (vrouwelijke) Afghaanse rechters
Op 17 augustus 2021 hebben de Nederlandse Vereniging voor Rechtspraak (NVvR) en Rechters voor Rechters in een gezamenlijke brief [klik hier (pdf)] aan de vaste Kamercommissies voor Defensie en Buitenlandse zaken aandacht gevraagd voor de precaire situatie waarin met name Afghaanse vrouwelijke rechters zich bevinden.
In deze brief staat onder andere: Continue reading Brief van NVvR en RvR over situatie (vrouwelijke) Afghaanse rechters
Judges for Judges on the recent developments in Afghanistan
Judges for Judges took notice with great concern of the recent developments in Afghanistan. Judges for Judges publicly supports the recent calls for international support by the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ), by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers and by the International Association of Judges (IAJ). Continue reading Judges for Judges on the recent developments in Afghanistan