News & Events in Belarus
Call on Belarus’ judicial system to stay fully-compliant with principle of social justice
MINSK, 5 April (BelTA) – The major criterion which people use to assess the activity of courts is social justice. It is not only a guarantee of people’s trust in courts and justice, but also the most important part of the ideology of the Belarusian state, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he attended a meeting at the new building of the Supreme Court on 5 April to discuss ways to improve the activity of general courts, BelTA has learned.
"I always say: people, people, people. I am doing this not for some kind of populism. I do not need it. We really work for people. If we say that the state is for the people, we must implement this formula. Social justice is not only a guarantee of public confidence in justice, but also the most important component of the ideology of the Belarusian state. The demand for this justice is enormous, not only in the Slavic states, but throughout the world,” the Belarusian leader stressed.
“People must be confident that they will find their rights and legitimate interests protected in the court. This means that they will be heard and that a well-reasoned decision will be taken regarding their life situation. It is very important that people understand why the court makes such a decision. People who come to court must trust in its ability to establish the truth. Then they will not have to turn to the president for help,” said the head of state.
Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed that judges need to feel free in making decisions: not to be afraid of prosecutors, not to depend on the opinion of investigators, not to look to the local authorities. They must be guided only by the law. The Belarusian leader said that no one can blame him, even having certain levers and powers, for pressing judges in any case. “My main function is, on the contrary, to protect you from any pressure when court decisions are made. I know that such things happen. Those who work here know my reaction,” said the head of state.
He added that the president is also responsible for the appointment and dismissal of judges. Moreover, the law enforcement agencies have never detained judges or conducted criminal intelligence operations against them without the knowledge of the head of state. “This has never happened and will never happen. However, the president sometimes receives certain complaints. I am informed by the law enforcement agencies as well. When I see that the situation is serious and needs to be dealt with, as I often say, multiply by two [in regard to the responsibility for breaching the law]. It is unacceptable for judges who guard the law to violate it,” said Alexander Lukashenko.
“People should always be in the center of your attention. Someone needs to rethink the vision of their profession, be more attentive to people, and sometimes put themselves in the shoes of those people. Only such a court will be truly authoritative and fair. You cannot envisage everything in the law. Here where judges must step forward with their experience, honesty, decency and integrity,” the Belarusian leader said.
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