Foreign
MANY European Union citizens are losing trust in the independence of their judicial systems, a European Commission report released on Friday stated.
This was particularly the case in EU countries that faced challenges to their judiciary over the past year, as half of them saw a drop in the number of citizens who believe their courts are independent.
Overall, two-fifths of EU members saw a drop in the perceived independence of the judiciary.
“The interference or pressure from government and politicians was the most stated reason for the perceived lack of independence of courts and judges.
“Followed by the pressure from economic or other specific interests,’’ a news release for the so-called Justice Scoreboard said.
The Justice Scoreboard is released annually by the Commission and measures the effectiveness of the judiciary in EU countries.
Croatia scores lowest on the ranking, with only 24 percent of the population believing their judiciary is independent. About 68 percent think the Croatian courts are “bad” or “very bad.”
Denmark scores highest, with 86 percent classing their judiciary as “good” or “very good.”
Didier Reynders, the EU commissioner for justice, said the report identified shortcomings and best-practices in EU countries.
“In a few member states, where legislative changes have recently been adopted that encroach on judicial independence.
“Also attacks on judges and prosecutors have intensified, perceived independence has further decreased,’’ he said. (dpa/NAN)
– Jul. 10, 2020 @ 16:05 GMT |
Tags: EU Commission finds trust in independence of judiciaries falling
