The Vetting Commission has completed the evaluation of all candidates received under law on pre-vetting

The Judicial Vetting Commission announces that it has completed the evaluation of all candidates received so far under Law 26/2022, which regulates the pre-vetting process.

Under Law 252/2023, which pertains to the external evaluation of judges and prosecutors, the Vetting Commission has been mandated to evaluate, in addition to other categories of subjects, candidates for positions as members of the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM), who submitted their candidacies after 1 September 2023, as well as candidates for the SCM Boards, regardless of the date their candidacy was submitted. Their evaluation was carried out based on Law 26/2022 concerning pre-vetting, continuing the mandate of the Pre-Vetting Commission.

The Commission was tasked with evaluating 31 candidates for positions in the self-governing bodies of judges. The candidates were assessed based on the integrity criteria established in Law 26/2022, which imposes more stringent evaluation standards compared to the criteria in the laws regarding vetting. In the event of failure to pass the evaluation, the sole consequence is the exclusion of the candidate from the competition.

Evaluation of candidates for SCM

For the filling of vacant positions within the SCM from the civil society and appellate courts, Parliament and the SCM respectively organized competitions. Following these competitions, the Vetting Commission received for evaluation six candidates: five from civil society and one judge to represent the appellate courts in the SCM. Only two of the civil society representatives passed and were appointed by Parliament to the SCM. The other candidates did not pass, including the judge candidate from the appellate courts.

Evaluation of candidates for the Selection and Evaluation Board of Judges

Regarding the candidates for the Selection and Evaluation Board of Judges, 13 candidates applied for the positions. Of these, one candidate withdrew, and another was withdrawn by the SCM. The remaining candidates passed the evaluation.

Evaluation of candidates for the Disciplinary Board

In the case of the Disciplinary Board, out of the 12 candidates sent to the Commission for evaluation, one withdrew, and two were withdrawn by the SCM during the process. Six candidates passed, while three failed the evaluation.

As part of the evaluation of subjects under the law on pre-vetting, the Commission adopted 26 decisions. Given that the law guarantees candidates the right to refuse the publication of decisions, only 16 of these decisions have been published, when the subjects notified the Commission that they had no objection to the publication. The decisions can be consulted HERE.

What’s Next?

Candidates who have passed the evaluation will be proposed for election through a vote at the General Assembly of Judges. If the bodies of self-administration of judges are not completed, the SCM will organize new competitions and send the registered candidates to the Vetting Commission for evaluation.