Scandal in Ghent: Attorney General Allegedly Leaked Judge Exam Questions

Ghent (Eurotoday): In January, the High Council of Justice started investigating cheating in a judge exam. A provincial attorney general is accused of giving questions to a trainee lawyer, who is the son of a judge. A candidate and a jury member admitted to cheating, leading to a criminal investigation and disciplinary actions against the Advocate General, who has been suspended.

In January, the High Council of Justice began investigating cheating claims in a law exam for judges after rumors and a formal complaint about issues during the test. The focus is on a provincial attorney general from the exam committee, who was accused of giving a trainee lawyer the exam questions in advance. 

Are cheating allegations compromising the integrity of Ghent’s judge selection?

The trainee lawyer involved in the cheating allegations is the son of a lawyer and a judge, which raises concerns about favoritism. The High Council of Justice is looking into the case to see if any rules were broken and what it means for the fairness of the exam process. If the claims are true, it could lead to punishments and changes to make future exams fairer. Until the investigation is finished, this situation is raising concerns about the appointment of judges and accountability within the system.

The High Council of Justice reported that a candidate and a jury member admitted to cheating during an exam. The prosecutor from Ypres also said he got exam details from the advocate general and talked about it with his daughter, who took the test. The HRJ has sent the case to the Attorney General for a criminal investigation and other actions. A judge has suspended the Advocate General for three more months, and 20 percent of his salary is still being held back. It is not clear when the magistrate will go to the disciplinary court.