IAJ vice president: Judicial budget independence vital for healthy governance

Ensuring effective budgetary independence of the judiciary is essential to restoring healthy relations between powers of government, said Marcelle Kouassi, Vice President of the International Association of Judges (IAJ) and President of its Africa Group, during an international conference in Baku on "Relations between the judiciary and the other two powers of the state," Report informs.

Kouassi stressed that the absence of dynamic inter-institutional dialogue weakens the foundations of a rule-of-law-based state.

"In many cases, the judiciary remains dependent on the executive power, while the legislature stands aside from the process. Relations between the judiciary and the executive continue to face persistent challenges - including political interference in the appointment and discipline of judges, structural budget dependency, lack of material resources, gaps in ethics and transparency, and at times, a moral crisis fed by corruption," she noted.

To overcome these challenges, Kouassi highlighted the need to guarantee the judiciary's financial independence effectively, reform the structure and functioning of high judicial councils, strengthen judicial guarantees such as judges' irremovability, to establish impartial and independent disciplinary mechanisms.

"These steps are crucial for rebuilding trust and reinforcing the integrity of judicial institutions," she added.