BRATISLAVA, August 23, (WEBNOVINY) — The Judicial Council of the Slovak Republic resolutely objects to the government proposed ten-percent payroll cost cuts for Slovak courts. The plan was announced in recent weeks by the center-right government of Iveta Radicova (SDKU-DS) and aims to save ten percent of payroll costs in the state administration. With the exception of teachers, all budgetary chapters are to get less money for wages.
“Not only will this measure slow down court proceedings, but it opens a huge space for corruption,” explained Judicial Council Chairman and Supreme Court President Stefan Harabin. If court chairmen want to respect the law including the budgetary measures, they will have to decrease the already low salaries of senior clerks, assistants to judges, and minute clerks. It is not possible to reduce the remuneration of judges since their salaries are defined by the law and can be lowered only based on the decision of a disciplinary court. The category of civil servants includes senior court officials and assistants to judges who are remunerated in line with the law on civil service, but their wages are linked to the judges’ wages, Harabin reasoned. Therefore, the Judicial Council is asking the government not to reduce the payroll cost for courts and the apparatus of the judiciary. “Judges will be able to defend their rights at the Constitutional Court, as already happened in the past, but we cannot forget about senior court clerks, assistants, and minute clerks,” Harabin added.
SITA