After long deliberation, the Constitutional Court has finally ruled on the issue of expropriation of land, which was made possible by the former government.
In its judgement, the plenary session of the court declared that by adoption of the legislation the State had breached the Constitution and also the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. The ruling was supported by 10 of the 12 presiding judges.
The law was adopted by the former government of Robert Fico as a way of claiming land for the construction of roads and motorways, in particular, and gave the owners of the land basically no way to prevent the loss of their land at a price determined by the government.
There is now the possibility that this latest ruling could lead to a series of lawsuits from anyone who had their land taken away unconstitutionally. Interior minister Daniel Lipsic said the state would have to compensate anyone who suffered such expropriation.