Seven judicial structures, on Saturday, called on the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister and MPs who support the independence of the judiciary to recognise the unconstitutionality of the draft law on the Supreme Judicial Council (French: CSM).
“Provisions of the constitution and the rule of law must be respected,” they stressed, calling on the President of the Republic not to promulgate the law.
They said in a joint statement that the organic law adopted last Friday by the House of People’s Representatives (HPR) contains “several violations of the Constitution,” which will push judges to boycott the Supreme Judicial Council.
Signatories pointed out that the amendments brought to the draft law on the CSM affected non-fundamental issues without making changes to the shortcomings contained in this text in its initial version, which, according to them, are contrary to the principle of the independence of the judicial power.
They also announced the suspension of their participation in the law drafting committees, under the Ministry of Justice as well as in the programme to support judicial reform.
All political parties, members of the civil society and union structures should assume responsibility and defend citizens’ rights to an independent justice and stand against the violation of rights and freedoms, they argued.
The signatories are :
- Association of Tunisian Judges (AMT)
- Union of Tunisian Judges (SMT)
- Union of Administrative Judges (UMA),
- Sectoral Council of the Administrative Court
- Sectoral Council of the Court of Auditors
- Tunisian Association of Young Judges
- Tunisian Observatory for Judiciary Independence (OTIM).
Source: http://www.tap.info.tn/en/index.php/politics2/26968-judicial-structures-...
