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The Platform for an Independent Judiciary in Turkey (Medel, EAJ, AEAJ and Judges for Judges) sent a letter to the Council of Europe and to the EU Commission (DG Justice and DG Enlargement), stating that:
- continues to stand in solidarity behind the unlawfully and illegally detained and/or dismissed Turkish judges and prosecutors;
- strongly urges the European institutions to call on Turkey to provide guarantees and standards for a de iure and de facto independence of the judges and prosecutors as well as to take responsibility to demand so in their various partnerships and relations with Turkey;
MEDEL, European Association of Judges, Association of European Administrative Judges and Judges for Judges have sent today a letter to Ursula von der Leyen, Charles Michel and David Sassoli, stressing the need for an urgent and strong reaction to the recent developments in the Polish Judiciary. You can read the letter below.
Four European Associations of Judges and Prosecutors took notice with great concern of the recent developments in Poland in reaction to the decisions of the European Court of Justice of 15 July 2021 (Case C-791/19) and also of 14 July 2021 in the pending case C-204/21 (regarding the ‘Muzzle law’).
(EN) MEDEL has issued a statement regarding the recent developments in the Polish Judiciary and the decisions of the Court of Justice of the European Union.
(FR) MEDEL a publié une déclaration concernant les récents développements dans le système judiciaire polonais et les décisions de la Cour de Justice de l'Union Européenne.
MEDEL welcomes the two critical European Court of Justice’s decisions delivered last week in the so-called “Polish cases”– order issued on 14th of July 2021 in case C-204/21 and final verdict of one of the infringement procedures – case C-771/19, rendered on 15th of July 2021. Both of these decisions relate to the principle of independence of the judiciary. Under the ECJ’s ruling of 14 July, supplemental to an earlier ECJ ruling of 8 April 2020 (“muzzle law”), the Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court has been found invalid in all cases related to judges – disciplinary and immunity.
In the verdict delivered on 15th of July, ECJ explicitly states that the Disciplinary Chamber does not fulfil the criteria of an independent and impartial court. ECJ also emphasised that Polish disciplinary system of judges fails to guarantee fundamental rights of defendants. Both these decisions confirm the essential European Union’s cornerstone legal principle of independence of justice.
MEDEL's member association Lex Super Omnia has published a thorough and impressive report (in English) on the methods of repression used in Poland against prosecutors who are members of the association.
MEDEL stands beside all the brave and corageous prosecutors who fight for the Rule of Law in Poland.
Their fight is the fight of all European magistrates.
Monica Frąckowiak, member of the board of MEDEL, took part on July 13th, 2021, as speaker in the conference organised by the Italian Superior Council "The Crisis of Rule of Law and the Independence of the Magistrature".
The Council of Administration of MEDEL, gathered today in Firenze, Italy, and online, unanimously approved a statement on occasion of the anniversary of the attempted coup in Turkey.
MEDEL demands the Turkish authorities:
- To immediately release Murat Arslan and all the unfairly imprisoned Magistrates, Lawyers and other citizens;
- To immediately and fully reinstate all Judges, Prosecutors and Lawyers who were unlawfully dismissed;
- To fully respect the Rule of Law and the independence of the Judiciary.
Medel held today its Council of Administration in Firenze, Italy, and online.
Among other topics, the situations of Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova were under analysis.
On July 9, 2021 MEDEL and its member association Magistratura Democratica organised in Firenze, Italy, the conference "The Future of Europe between Rule of Law and Social Pillar".
The speakers were Elly Schlein, Sophie in' t Veld, Pier Virgilio Dastoli, Giuseppe Bronzini, Cesare Pinelli, Nicole Lazzerini, Gaetano Ruta, Filipe Marques, Monica Frąckowiak, Fausta Guarriello, Gualtiero Michelini e Valeria Piccone.
On June 15th 1985, European magistrates and associations of magistrates convened in Strasbourg to constitute MEDEL.
Among their goals was "the establishment of a common debate among magistrates from different countries", "the defense of the independence of the judiciary in the face of every other power as well as of specific interests", "the democratization of the judiciary", "the respect, in all circumstances, of the legal values specific to the democratic state based on the rule of law" and "the proclamation and the defense of the rights of minorities and of differences, and in particular the rights of immigrants and the most deprived, in a perspective of social emancipation of the weakest".
MEDEL europe supports and endorses the "International Fair Trial Day", calling for the respect of Human Rights and the right to a fair trial in Turkey.
Join the Inaugural International Fair Trial Day event today, June 14th, 2021 (15.00-17.20 CET):
- via Zoom: http://bit.ly/iftdwebinar
- on YouTube: http://bit.ly/iftdyoutube
