Kolikova: Admin Courts Might Be Located in Trnava, Banska Bystrica and Kosice

Bratislava, September 27 (TASR) – First-instance administrative courts might be placed in Trnava, Banska Bystrica and Kosice, Justice Minister Maria Kolikova told a news conference on Monday.

The proposal has been included in the bill on setting up administrative courts that the Justice Ministry is submitting for inter-departmental review.

“I believe that building up the administrative judiciary provides a guarantee that we take the principles of the rule of law very seriously on the path to democracy, that a dispute between a citizen and the state carries serious weight, and building an administrative judiciary is really the best way in this context,” stated the minister, adding that the administrative judiciary will become a fully autonomous part of the courts network.

“We propose dealing with the administrative judiciary through three first-instance courts with registered offices in Banska Bystrica, Kosice and Trnava and the already functioning Supreme Administrative Court in Bratislava,” stated the Justice Ministry. First-instance administrative courts won’t have disciplinary power, which will be the exclusive prerogative of the Supreme Administrative Court.

The setting up of administrative courts should be carried out in two stages. “We want to create them by next March, while their full agenda would be launched as of September 1, 2022,” said Kolikova.

The administrative judiciary will resolve disputes between citizens and the state, protecting people from potential arbitrary behaviour by the state authorities. It will examine decisions of offices and institutions concerning, for example, pensions, social benefits or tax-related issues.

The bill on setting up administrative courts is a part of the courts map reform.