ZAGREB, 27 April 2022 - Human rights in Croatia are stagnating and last year they were not high among the government's priorities again, which is a serious problem in the context of new social challenges, it was said on Wednesday at a presentation of a Human Rights House Zagreb report on human rights in Croatia in 2021.
The annual report was presented by programme director Ivan Novosel, who said the state of human rights should be viewed in the context of the 2020 earthquakes in Zagreb and Banija as well as the epidemic.
"Reconstruction was slowed down, de facto there wasn't any. That had a very negative impact on the exercise of citizens' socio-economic rights - the respect for the right to adequate living standards and a home," he said.
Last year again, COVID protocols had a negative impact on access to health and public services as well as social life due to restrictions of the human rights to assemble and move, he added.
Human rights have stagnated or eroded in many other areas also, and Croatian institutions remain unprepared, without ideas or coordination in coming up with clear and quality human rights protection policies, Novosel said.
Despite the establishment of the government's human rights council, human rights were not high on the government's list of priorities again last year, and 2021 ended without valid public policies protecting and promoting human rights and the fight against discrimination as well as without policies on gender equality and civil society development, he added.
Judicial independence perception among lowest in EU
Besides the low trust in institutions, there remain serious problems relating to the efficiency and quality of the justice system.
The perception of its independence remains among the lowest in the EU, and although the perception of corruption in public bodies remains high, the government is reducing the powers of the Conflict of Interest Commission.
Deputy human rights ombudsman Tatjana Vlašić said most of citizens' complaints last year were about discrimination, the exercise of the right to health and the right to work, and about the work of the judiciary.
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ZAGREB, 11 Feb 2022 - The Croatian parliament on Friday adopted a package of judicial laws as well as a report on the effects of epidemiological measures against coronavirus from 1 September to the end of December 2021.
The package of judicial laws includes amendments to the Courts Act, the State Attorney's Office Act, and the law governing the territorial jurisdictions and seats of courts and state attorney's offices. It specifies the election procedure for the Supreme Court President and Attorney General and introduces mandatory background checks for all judges and state attorneys every five years.
Court presidents and state attorneys will be required to apply for security checks with the competent security and intelligence agency through the Ministry of Justice.
In reference to the election of the Supreme Court President, the State Judicial Council (DSV) will submit timely and complete applications to the President of the Republic, and not his chief of staff, who will then request an opinion on the candidates from the competent authorities, a general assembly of the Supreme Court and the competent parliamentary committee.
If the President of the Republic does not recommend any of the candidates within 30 days, the DSV will revoke the public call for applications and advertise a new call within eight days.
In the case of expiry of the Supreme Court President's tern, the DSV will have the authority to appoint an acting president until a new president is elected. Under the present law, in this case, the duties of the Supreme Court President are carried out by the Vice President.
The State Attorney's Council (DOV) will submit applications for the position of Attorney General to the government which will then request an opinion on the candidates from the competent authorities and if the government does not recommend any of the candidates within 30 days, the DOV will revoke the public call for applications and advertise a new call within eight days.
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