Bratislava – There are no unresolved issues between the European Union institutions and the Slovak Republic regarding criminal law, affirmed Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico during a press conference following a meeting with Justice Minister Boris Susko (both from Smer-SD) aimed at reviewing the government’s program implementation. Consequently, Fico views the amendments to the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code as finalized, according to TASR.
“It is accurate to assert that there are no open questions between the EU and the SR institutions in the area of criminal law,” Fico emphasized. He noted that the Constitutional Court of the Slovak Republic has validated the constitutionality of the legislative changes. Additionally, he expressed uncertainty about the purpose of the meeting with the European Parliament’s monitoring group, which addresses democracy, rule of law, and fundamental rights.
Fico remarked that the updates to the criminal law in Slovakia are in line with modern European trends, stating that the focus of criminal law should be on remediation rather than retribution.
“The objectives we anticipated from criminal law are gradually being achieved,” Fico observed. He mentioned that courts are now imposing more alternative sentences compared to previous years.
Nonetheless, further increases are constrained by the limited number of probation officers, roughly 110 in total. The Prime Minister expressed optimism about potentially increasing this number. He also discussed the successful resolution of tensions among various authorities involved in criminal proceedings and within the Judicial Council of the Slovak Republic, emphasizing the Ministry of Justice’s proposal for a two-tier system regarding the disciplinary prosecution of judges.
Fico addressed the salaries of court employees, stating, “We identified 32.5 million euros for redistribution, which effectively led to an average salary increase of 400 euros for court employees, excluding judges.” He also pointed out the rise in the income threshold for eligibility for free legal aid, deeming the review of the recovery plan within the Ministry of Justice as a rational move. (June 2)
“It is very correct to state that there is no open question between the EU and SR institutions regarding the area of criminal law.” Robert Fico
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