Hungary Elects New Chief Justice Despite Opposition From Judges
Hungary Elects New Chief Justice Despite Opposition From Judges
(Bloomberg) -- Hungary’s parliament elected a new chief justice opposed by the nation’s top judges, reviving rule-of-law concerns in Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government.
Parliament, where Orban’s lawmakers held the two-thirds majority necessary to carry Monday’s vote, approved Constitutional Court Judge Andras Varga to take over as the chief justice of the supreme court, also known as the Kuria, on Jan. 1.
The National Council of Judges, which supervises the court system, rejected Varga’s nomination in a 13-1 vote earlier this month. They cited a perceived lack of independence after the nominee had served as the deputy of Orban’s chief prosecutor, whom the EU has criticized for a failure to investigate corruption among the ruling elite.
The judges also said Varga could only be nominated after the ruling party twice amended the law to make up for a lack of qualification under earlier rules.
Hungary is currently subject to a formal EU probe over the suspected erosion of the rule of law under Orban’s decade in power, including the extension of political influence over the courts.
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