The conference organised by Open Society Foundation today called Judicial Reform – Past and Future, which saw the attendance also of judges from ten other countries, focused on taking an introspective look at the state of the judiciary in Slovakia.
The opening speech at the conference this morning was given by none other than Prime Minister Iveta Radicova, who underlined the importance of the judiciary in all aspects of society. Her address was targeted chiefly at judges, calling on them to play a greater part in changing the system and to be more pro-active in pushing through judicial reform.
Radicova pointed out how less than one in three Slovaks had trust in the judiciary, and how the way the judiciary functions reflects directly also on the business environment and economic growth.
She recommended taking an example from those countries that have already undergone such a reform process, as she feels there is a huge void between justice and law in Slovakia. She underlined that the key pillars for a quality business environment include enforceability of the law, the ability to keep corruption down and speedy court proceedings.