Supreme Court Chairman and Chairman of the Judicial Council Stefan Harabin could be running again for the post in the elections he himself set recently for 19 May, according to daily SME, which received a leaked document that he had accepted his nomination.
Harabin, who has been at the centre of various controversial accusations in the past, has already served in the post for two 5-year terms (1998-2003, 2009-present), with his current run due to end on 22 June. He could now steamroll the election once more and be reappointed by incumbent President Ivan Gasparovic before his own term runs out on June 15 .
Although no official confirmation has been received that Harabin will run for the post, it all looks set that he will and he is expected to make an announcement in the days to come.
Since Prime Minister Robert Fico lost the presidential elections to Andrej Kiska, the Smer-SD government has been shaping up, not shaking up, the judiciary, by recently nominating four relatively inexperienced judges to the Constitutional Court, three of whom will remain there for twelve years. Again, outgoing President Ivan Gasparovic will select the three most appropriate candidates, while the government decided not to nominate some of the most experienced constitutional judges in the country.
Harabin has had a tight hold on the judiciary for the past five years and should he continue as head of the Supreme Court and Judicial Council (until September at least), Slovakia’s judiciary will remain firmly under his thumb, and the good co-operation with the standalone Smer-SD government led by PM Fico can continue.
See also: https://www.thedaily.sk/scramble-for-control-of-judiciary-begins/
Not sure this situation is any different to others things that are considered normal business here in Slovakia . For example, THE QUIZ night ( Posted by Howard Cohen ) is now under `Closed Comments ` restriction , as Cohen had his bum slapped a few months ago by me, when he tried to make light of the non attendance and the drug use of some Comedians at one of his Gigs …..It appears like Slowvak Justice Harabin, Jewish Howard needs special consideration along with the Irish Paddy`s species who`s `Culture` is also now a protect from harsh but fair comment .
Perhaps JB has gone native ?