By APD writer Aditya Nugraha

BUDAPEST, Nov. 1 (APD) - Government of Hungary has announced that it will not establish a separate administrative court structure that had raised many concerns over judicial independence.

“The government believes that courts should be protected from unnecessary disputes and therefore we will maintain a unified court system and will not establish an independent administrative court organization,” Hungary Justice Minister Judit Varga said on Thursday.

The law, approved in 2018, would have established new courts for administrative cases, handing greater powers to the minister of justice.

It was feared decisions of these courts would have affected fundamental rights such as matters related to elections, abuses of power by the police, asylum or the exercise of the right to peaceful assembly.

While the law has now been withdrawn, Hungary’s national assembly will still pass legislation designed to speed up administrative court cases.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)