Judicial staff to comply with EU court rulings
MESUT HASAN BENLİ ANKARA – Radikal
The Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) has introduced a new criterion for the promotion of judicial staff that will hamper their career advancement if their verdicts lead to sentences against Turkey by the European Court of Human Rights.“[We] decided to take into consideration the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights in the promotion of judges and prosecutors, so as to get them to comply with the European Court’s decisions and reduce violations,” the HSYK wrote in a letter to the Justice Ministry.
Authorities will identify specific acts leading to unfavorable verdicts against Turkey by the European Court, and take those into consideration when deciding on the promotion of judges and prosecutors, according to reports.
“If the violation identified by the European Court stems from the body of current law, then this will not affect the promotion of judges and prosecutors. However, if the violation determined by the European Court stems from the judge’s discretionary decision-making powers, it will be taken into account when they are being considered for promotion,” a HSYK official said.
The HSYK’s General Council initiated the new regulation, while its Second Department will keep track of its implementation, he added.
“Since this is a new regulation, the methods by which it is executed will be refined over time. The aim of this regulation is to obviate convictions of Turkey by the European court,” he said.
