25 Mar 15 Judges' Strike Brings Halt to Trials in Kosovo
Judges have entered the fourth week of a strike over pay in Kosovo, which is bringing the judicial system grinding to a halt.
BIRN
Pristina
The judges of Basic Courts in Kosovo have been on strike for three weeks now, with no sign that the government intends to meet their request for a pay hike.
“The funds to meet the demands of the judges have been set aside, so the deadlock is incomprehensible,” Hamdi Ibrahimi, president of the Basic Court of Pristina, said.
When former Prime Minister Hashim Thaci’s government last year adopted a budget, it promised judges a 25-per-cent increase in their salaries.
They were also promised a “risk compensation flat sum,” a 200-euro addition to their salaries designed as a motivation for judges, who face a lot of risks in their line of work in Kosovo.
Ibrahimi noted that the the request of the judges for a rise of around 25 per cent was agreed last year when the budget was passed.
This 25-per-cent figure was promised to all civil servants. However, the new government under Prime Minister Isa Mustafa has decided not to implement this part of the budget, on the grounds that it was unaffordable.
A separate agreement since drawn up between the Ministry of Justice and the Judicial Council does foresaw an increase of 200 euro in the salaries of judges and prosecutors, however. But only prosecutors have recieved the extra money.
“We know the economic situation in Kosovo. So we don’t expect the salary increase, just the risk compensation. We know funds have been set aside for this goal but we aren’t getting the money,” Ibrahimi said.
Judges have been on strike since March 3rd, and plan to continue until their requests are met.
Arianit Koci, a lawyer, says the strike is creating deadlock in the courts. “The judicial system in Kosovo is overburdened. Every judge has had a large number of cases. This strike is bringing the judiciary close to collapse,” Koci added.
Around 1,000 cases have been postponed, he noted. “All my clients have seen damages. Cases are being prolonged. The requests of the judges are legitimate but I’m not sure that this is the right way to do it," he observed.
All the cases dealt with by Basic Courts have been put on hold, except for those in which the defendants are in pretrial detention and cases of family violence.
Even cases that include mixed panels of local and international judges have been postponed, which means that many cases involving judges and prosecutors from the EU rule of law mission, EULEX, have been postponed indefinitely.
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/judges-in-kosovo-strike-amid-growing-caseload
“The funds to meet the demands of the judges have been set aside, so the deadlock is incomprehensible,” Hamdi Ibrahimi, president of the Basic Court of Pristina, said.
When former Prime Minister Hashim Thaci’s government last year adopted a budget, it promised judges a 25-per-cent increase in their salaries.
They were also promised a “risk compensation flat sum,” a 200-euro addition to their salaries designed as a motivation for judges, who face a lot of risks in their line of work in Kosovo.
Ibrahimi noted that the the request of the judges for a rise of around 25 per cent was agreed last year when the budget was passed.
This 25-per-cent figure was promised to all civil servants. However, the new government under Prime Minister Isa Mustafa has decided not to implement this part of the budget, on the grounds that it was unaffordable.
A separate agreement since drawn up between the Ministry of Justice and the Judicial Council does foresaw an increase of 200 euro in the salaries of judges and prosecutors, however. But only prosecutors have recieved the extra money.
“We know the economic situation in Kosovo. So we don’t expect the salary increase, just the risk compensation. We know funds have been set aside for this goal but we aren’t getting the money,” Ibrahimi said.
Judges have been on strike since March 3rd, and plan to continue until their requests are met.
Arianit Koci, a lawyer, says the strike is creating deadlock in the courts. “The judicial system in Kosovo is overburdened. Every judge has had a large number of cases. This strike is bringing the judiciary close to collapse,” Koci added.
Around 1,000 cases have been postponed, he noted. “All my clients have seen damages. Cases are being prolonged. The requests of the judges are legitimate but I’m not sure that this is the right way to do it," he observed.
All the cases dealt with by Basic Courts have been put on hold, except for those in which the defendants are in pretrial detention and cases of family violence.
Even cases that include mixed panels of local and international judges have been postponed, which means that many cases involving judges and prosecutors from the EU rule of law mission, EULEX, have been postponed indefinitely.
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/judges-in-kosovo-strike-amid-growing-caseload
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