Kiska Vetoes Courts Law Amendment

Slovakia President ANDREJ KISKA

Bratislava, July 6 (CTK) – Slovak President Andrej Kiska has vetoed an amendment to the courts law, passed by the parliament on June 20, because it strongly reduces the public checking of court decisions, Kiska’s spokesman Martin Liptak told journalists today.

 

Kiska has returned the bill to the parliament.

 

He warned the lawmakers that in his view the content of the amended legislation was at variance with the principles of the rule of law.

 

The approved text of the regulation widens the number of the exceptions from from the provision of access to court decisions.

 

This includes the consent of a court with the provision of the data relating to telecommunication secrets or the consent with making the wiretapping.

 

Kiska said this erased the possibility of public control of strongly delicate court decisions which considerably interfere in several basic rights and freedoms of individuals.

 

Kiska also warned that neither the government, which submitted the amendment, nor the parliament had explained the existence of any exceptional circumstances or threat to security which should prompt the approval of the amendment.