Kilka refleksji na temat wyboru i awansu sędziów w kontekście prawa europejskiego. Pięć kolejnych kroków w obronie niezależnego wymiaru sprawiedliwości¹

Some Reflections on the Selection and Appointment of Judges in the European law.
Five Next Steps in Defence of Independent  Justice

For the identity and well-functioning of Europe, independent national judiciaries are key, and the selection processes of judges and Court Presidents essential. During the last decade, however, several European Governments have been undermining this by trying to establish political control over national judges, especially through political dominance over the selection and appointment processes for judges and Court Presidents.

In his inaugural speech, Kees Sterk addresses the topic of selection processes, both on substance as well as on procedure. He analyses the case law of the European Court of Human Rights, and the enforcement policies of the European Commission.

At the beginning of his presentation, Sterk makes three remarks on the European context in which judiciaries have to operate: attacks on national judges acting as European judges, the ineffective enforcement of EU standards regarding the independence of the judiciary, and the many different national contexts Europe has. Then he turns to the heart of the matter: the requirements of European law concerning the election of judges and presidents. He concludes his speech by pointing out the five next steps which are, in his view, necessary to defend an independent European judiciary.  including the systemic enforcement gap, an effective enforcement duty, the standars for selection bodies, a duty to reason selection decisions, and on limiting the power of the executive to refuse candidates selected by selection bodies.

Key words: independent national judiciaries, appointment of judges in the European law, selection processes of judges and presidents.

* Autor jest prof. dr Uniwersytetu w Maastricht, byłym przewodniczącym Europejskiej Sieci Rad Sądownictwa (ENCJ), honorowym członkiem SSP „Iustitia”.

¹ Przemówienie inauguracyjne wygłoszone na Uniwersytecie w Maa­st­richt 10.3.2023 r. Tłumaczenie: Zespół ds. Międzynarodowych SSP „­Iustitia”.

² Zob. https://www.boomportaal.nl/boek/9789462365292.

³ Tamże.

⁴ Tamże.