“The government has decided not to introduce an organisationally separate public administration court system, but a new bill being currently drawn up will make public administration court rulings faster and more calculable”, Minister of Justice Judit Varga said in a statement to Hungarian news agency MTI on Thursday.
“The government decided in the spring to indefinitely postpone the establishment of an organisationally separate public administration court system. Following lengthy professional debate, the government believes that courts must be protected from unnecessary disputes, and accordingly will be keeping the existing unified court system; there will be no independent public administration court system”, the Minister explained.
“The legislative bill that is currently being drawn up will provide a clear framework for public administration court cases with only a minimal level of reorganisation, while accelerating the closure of appeals and making jurisprudence more calculable”, she highlighted, adding: “The draft bill will be put before Parliament during its autumn session”.
“The government’s plans with relation to public administration court cases conform to European and international norms, and were also classified as acceptable by the Venice Commission in spring, meaning they has stood up to all legal trials, and therefore international debate did not play a part in the government’s decision”, she stated.
“According to the bill, a legal redress forum system will be established that is capable of better serving the interests of citizens, to replace the existing, divergent public administration appeal system. The new legislation will provide a clearer and better-defined framework, as well as making judges’ jurisprudence more uniform”, the Minister explained.
With relation to the details, Ms. Varga said: “The range of cases with relation to which legal procedures have a single degree, after which plaintiffs will be able to take their case against the public administration ruling in question straight to courts, will be increasing”. “In addition, the public administration review system will have two levels: in the first degree, public administration rulings may be challenged at the county court, following which, in the cases provided for by law, people can turn to the Curia (Supreme Court) seeking legal redress”, Ms. Varga explained.
“The bill also includes the fact that, in the interests of inform court rulings, the Curia may also be approached directly to initiate a legal unity procedure not only concerning public administration cases, but also at a similar stage during criminal and civil cases, if the decision of a court differs from that of the Curia with relation to a legal issue”, the Minister said.