Walter Barone: Judicial appointments must not be politically controlled

Judicial appointments must not be subject to political control, as this raises concerns about political influence over court decisions, according to First Vice President of the International Association of Judges (IAJ), Walter Barone, Report informs.

Barone made the statement during his speech at the international conference held in Baku on October 14, titled "Relations between the judiciary and the other two powers of the state."

He condemned pressure against judges:

"Democracy and the rule of law must not be undermined. Otherwise, it would be a step backward. For example, my home country Brazil faced serious problems in its judicial system-there was interference in the courts. Similar interventions exist in other countries as well. Interfering with courts or judges, or attempting to influence their rulings, is unacceptable. We strongly condemn pressure on judges. Judicial independence is also a right of the people. At the same time, mutual respect between powers of government is essential."