Vili Kovačič, the so-called Citizen K, is fighting for the rights of democracy. Just as he has fearlessly done in the past, which got him into trouble, he is firmly decided to make sure that truth and justice will win this time too. With his new initiative, he is calling on the Minister of Justice, Lilijana Kozlovič, to initiate a procedure, with which the salaries of the judges and prosecutors would be made public. He believes that this manoeuvre could be part of the solution for the problem of the functioning of the Slovenian judiciary. And he also believes that salaries are not the only criterion in judges’ decisions. “Most of the exchange happens in the sphere of the natural economy – you watch my back, I watch yours, and both of us protect the media. Nevertheless, we need to start with the salaries,” he called on the Minister.
The well-known fighter for democracy and the initiator of the referendum on the second rail track, Vili Kovačič, is very critical of the Slovenian judiciary. After all, he even earned a court execution for slandering a judge, as he claimed that she convicted an innocent man, which turned out to be the truth with the acquittal of Milko Novič.
Due to the mistakes and non-functioning of a certain part of the judiciary, Kovačič now wants to go a step further and reveal the activities of the Slovenian judges and prosecutors. “Similar to what the Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs did when he revealed the salaries of the police officers, I expect the Minister of Justice, Mrs. Lilijana Kozlovič, to also publish the salaries of the prosecutors and the judges,” Kovačič said.
He believes that this would significantly increase the trust of the people, in whose name justice is being shaped in Slovenia. Given the mistakes and injustices in the judiciary, he believes that the Minister should not have any reservations when it comes to publicly revealing the salaries, and he therefore suggests that she implement this measure as soon as possible. “The good practice of the Minister of the Interior is an incentive for all of us to demand this in other areas as well.”
“The prosecutors are also a problem in terms of whether or not they really deserve their salaries, because, as we can see, they are even delegating their prosecutorial duties to the defence (the murder of Janko Jamnik), while the judges (some, not all) are protecting crime and trying to pass of innocent people as killers, all in the name of the people and with our money,” he went on to say. He noted, however, that things have also begun to move in the judiciary and is confident that change will come. “And besides: Epur si muove – and yet it moves, perhaps. Until recently, it was not even possible or permissible to publish photographs of the judges.”
Salaries are only part of the story of the functioning of the judiciary
Kovačič believes that the salaries of judges and prosecutors are only part of their income. “Criminal illegal judgments and fabricated indictments, based on Blanka Žgajnar’s model, are not produced for free and are not only being “rewarded” with the salaries of civil servants,” he made it clear and explained that the favours of the judges and prosecutors are likely not only compensated with money but also with public image. “Most of the exchange happens in the sphere of the natural economy – you watch my back, I watch yours, and both of us protect the media. Nevertheless, we need to start with the salaries,”
He urged all citizens to admit to ourselves that there are severe shortcomings when it comes to the intelligence and honesty, and therefore, the only thing left to do is keep raising public awareness until the public’s sense of justice and truth also disappear. He also gave the example of public trial: “In Slovenian courts, judges usually announce at the beginning, that the trial is public. As soon as the judge says this, all of the journalists – cameramen (voluntarily?) put away their cameras and other recording devices and leave the courtroom. The publicity of the trial is nothing more than an empty phrase after that.”
He encouraged the Minister of Justice to implement the EU bar exam
Kovačič also encouraged Lilijana Kozlovič to implement the EU bar exam, which would undoubtedly help reduce the legal deficit in all, and especially the new EU member states, as he believes that the deficit is huge. “Not knowing the judicial rules of the EU is a big problem, and mostly, it is planned,” he added. He says that the European Bar Exam is a soft and necessary meritocratic intervention – a soft form of lustration. “I am convinced that half of the candidates would fail the exam. Among them are also those who do not even have the state bar exam.”
He believes that the judicial rules of the European Union are a civilisation achievement of the Western world and says that we must hurry and get to know them in time. He emphasised that otherwise, we may be overtaken by Sharia or Asian law, or the global deception of deep proportion, which we witnessed in the last American elections. “And besides, Roosevelt said: a country where the thugs and criminals are louder than the honest people, is a lost country,” he added at the end.
Sara Rančigaj
