CHP appeal on controversial judicial law rejected

The Constitutional Court stated that it rejected CHP’s appeal on July 4, only days after the party issued its application. 

CHP Deputy Parliamentary Group Chair Levent Gök told daily Hürriyet on July 4 that the ruling was “shallow.”

“The court has made a wrong interpretation. We’ll renew our appeal after the law is published in the Official Gazette,” Gök said.

It was Gök who made the appeal to the top court on July 1, just hours after parliament adopted the law despite serious concerns that it would further eradicate judicial impartiality and independence. 

The 38-article law was passed at the General Assembly after three days of marathon sessions last week that witnessed tension between ruling and opposition lawmakers. 

According to the law, the number of judges at the Supreme Court of Appeals will be reduced from 516 to 200, while the number of judges at the Council of State will drop from 195 to 90. All members of both courts will be dismissed on the day the law will go into force except for their presidents, who will retain their positions despite the change in the law.

The new members of both courts will be selected by the Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) within five days of the law going into effect, with a number of members of the Council of State to be directly appointed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Those who will not continue their jobs in the supreme justice bodies will be reappointed to other judicial institutions within 10 days.