Judicial Reform

Support in principle for legal reforms, but no particular familiarity, reluctance to reduce the powers of presidents, almost no support for changing the national holiday or for tolerating dual citizenship in power - this is what the latest Gallup International Balkan study in Bulgaria points to.

Turkey will continue its efforts to reform justice and reinforce the rule of law, Justice Minister Abdülhamit Gül has said on the occasion of the beginning of the new judicial year.

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A new judicial reform document reflects the voice of the 82-million-strong Turkish nation, the country's justice minister said on Sept. 6.

The basic philosophy of a new document on judicial reform strategy would be to ensure "justice that inspires confidence," Justice Minister Abdülhamit Gül said.

The independence of the judiciary is under threat in EU member states from Eastern Europe such as Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland and Romania, European Justice Commissioner Vera Yourova said, quoted by Associated Press.
 
She warned that this trend could undermine the credibility of the states of the Union.
 

The Turkish government pledges for further reform in judiciary with plans to reveal judicial reform strategy in January that will be action plan the next five years after having discussions with other stakeholders, Minister of Justice Abdülhamit Gül said on Dec. 11 after Reform Action Group meeting.

They spoke about "the participation of this organization in the reform processes in the field of rule of law, judicial reforms, and the situation in the media in Serbia."

Poland's Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz and European Commission Vice President, Frans Timmermans, discussed a controversial Polish reform in the judiciary in Brussels on Thursday, the Associated Press reported.

The EC has proposed to abolish Poland's voting rights in the EU Council because of the controversial judicial reform that was approved a few days ago, the news agencies reported.

BELGRADE - Serbia continues to make progress but many challenges are still ahead, says the European Commission's semi-annual report on negotiations on accession chapters 23 and 24 on the judiciary and rule of law.