EU official: Hungary must reinstate judges, prosecutors forced to retire News
EU official: Hungary must reinstate judges, prosecutors forced to retire
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[JURIST] EU Commissioner of Justice Viviane Reding [official website] spoke out [statement] on Wednesday against Hungary’s failure to reinstate judges and prosecutors who had been forced into early retirement. Last November the European Court of Justice (ECJ) struck down [JURIST report] a Hungarian law that lowered the age of retirement for judges and prosecutors. In recent months, Hungary has taken steps towards changing its policy on forced retirement but has yet to reinstate those who have been forced out of their jobs. Reding urged Hungary to take immediate action to comply with the ECJ ruling and reinstate anyone who was forced into retirement.

Hungary has been criticized recently [JURIST op-ed] for changes to its constitution. The changes to the Hungary constitution have included restrictions on the homeless [JURIST report], increased control of the media, and a strict, narrow definition of family. The new laws were controversial even when they were passed [JURIST report], and have been subject to ongoing scrutiny. In February, Hungary’s Constitutional Court struck down [JURIST report] a law that outlines how churches are given official designation, finding that it was too political. In January the court struck down an electoral law [JURIST report] requiring voters to register to vote at least two weeks before elections in 2014. The new rules had been proposed by the conservative Fidesz [party website, in Hungarian] party of Prime Minister Viktor Orban [official website].