Justice Julia Laffranque gave an interview for a Turkish daily
06.05.2010
Julia Laffranque, a Justice of the Supreme Court and two-time President of the Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE), gave an interview to a Turkish newspaper in connection with the reorganisation of the Turkish Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors.
The decision made by the Turkish Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HYSK) in February to remove four public prosecutors from office sparked extensive discussions among local lawyers. Many of them found that the decision was unfounded and the board exceeded its powers.
Currently, justice reform and the reorganisation of the board are being discussed. Without interfering in any specific reform plans Justice Laffranque replied to questions about how in theory and in the opinion of the CCJE the board should perform its duties in ensuring the independence of judges and what the composition of the board should be like. The CCJE’s Opinion No. 10 given in 2007 focused on this very subject.
“The members of the board should reflect the diversity of society as much as possible and self-defence, personal agendas and back-office policymaking should be avoided,” she emphasised in the interview.
See the interview with Justice Julia Laffranque in English here.
Mari-Liis Lipstok
Executive Assistant to the Chief Justice