A group of judges wrote in a letter that the government’s decision to put them on a minimum wage due to the coronavirus crisis was illegal and unconstitutional.
The letter addressed to the Association of Judges emphasizes that according to the Law on Salaries of Judges, the salary cannot be reduced by law or by a decision of a state body. The signatories also refer to the Constitution, with one of the articles emphasizing it being 98, which guarantees the independence and autonomy of the judiciary.
“The Decree calls into question the constitutionally established system of separation of powers, the rule of law and is a direct intervention of the executive in the judiciary, which also calls into question the constitutionally guaranteed independence and autonomy of the judiciary. It also calls into question more guaranteed fundamental human rights with the ECHR and Art. 1 of Protocol 1 “, reads the letter, which does not state who and how many judges are behind it.
The letter also states that the judges are willing to voluntarily set aside part of their salaries, but do not agree with forced intervention.
The decree, which determines the minimum wage for judges and prosecutors for April and May, was published in the “Official Gazette” No. 97, from April 9, 2020, and was adopted at a Government session on April 7.
