Justice Minister László Trócsányi and Péter Darák, President of the Supreme Court (Curia), highlighted the importance of dialogue between the various branches of power, the independence of judges and the rule of law in their addresses at a ceremony marking National Courts Day in Budapest on 15 July 2014.
Minister Trócsányi said that although Hungary had in recent years introduced new rules concerning the judiciary, “the independence of judges remains a fixed star of democracy and constitutionality”.
The rule of law only functions properly if those involved work together, the Minister said, arguing that dialogue between executive and judicial power is necessary and adding that some court rulings may even influence the legislative process.
Concerning the rule of law, Chief Justice Darák said that it was “the most civilised and least burdensome state approach ever devised”.
Head of the National Judicial Office Tünde Handó said that the “health and competitiveness of a nation” also depends on society’s level of confidence in its courts, pointing out that the strategic objectives of Hungary’s judiciary also served to increase this level of trust through high quality, independent and timely court decisions.