NGOs seeks transparency in election of Supreme Court of Justice president

The Association for Participative Democracy (ADEPT) and the Legal Resources Center call upon the Supreme Council of Magistrates to ensure transparency in the process of electing the president of the Supreme Court of Justice, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting a letter issued by the two NGOs. The two organizations say that though the deadline for the submission of applications was in February, the Council has not yet officially made public the names of candidates who applied for the post. The candidates’ CVs have not been published on the Council’s website. It is not clear when the Council will select the suitable candidate and according to what criteria. According to the NGOs, these elements may generate suspicions as regards the equity of the selection process and can lead to diminished public trust in the Supreme Court of Justice and justice in general. On the other hand, it may seem that the candidate will be chosen according to political preferences with the aim of gaining control over the Supreme Court of Justice and the decisional majority in the Supreme Council of Magistrates, which is inadmissible. Thus, the NGOs ask that the lists of candidates for the post of Supreme Court of Justice president, their CVs and other public documents concerning the criteria of integrity, probity and professionalism be published on the websites of the Supreme Council of Magistrates and the Supreme Court of Justice. They also demand that the Council announce the date and place of the meeting where the applicants will be examined and ensure public access and that it explain the reasons why a certain candidate was selected and publish the given decision on its website within 24 hours.