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Proposal for three candidates for the post of judge at the European Court of Human Rights

Ljubljana, 10/30/2007  |  press release

The President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Janez Drnovšek, proposed today to the National Assembly to appoint three candidates to the European Court of Human Rights. These are Prof Dr Boštjan M. Zupančič, Mrs Milena Šmit and Mr Boštjan Penko.

The Ministry of Justice published an invitation to candidates for three posts to act as judge at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg; this invitation was published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia (Uradni list RS) No. 5 of 19 January 2007, No. 16 of 23 February 2007, No. 23 of 16 March 2007, No. 36 of 20 April 2007, No. 45 of 25 May 2007, No. 53 of 15 June 2007, No. 60 of 6 July 2007, No. 72 of 10 August 2007 and No. 83 of 1 October 2007.

According to the eighth paragraph of Article 5 of the Act on Nomination of Candidates from the Republic of Slovenia for Judges at International Courts (Uradni list RS Nos. 64/01, 59/02 and 82/04 – Decision of the Constitutional Court), the Minister of Justice, Dr Lovro Šturm, submitted the candidacies of the three candidates who applied to the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Janez Drnovšek, on 9 October 2007.

Based on the first paragraph of Article 6 of the Act on Nomination of Candidates from the Republic of Slovenia for Judges at International Courts, the candidacies of Prof Dr Boštjan M. Zupančič, Mrs Milena Šmit and Mr Boštjan Penko were sent to the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and to the Judicial Council of the Republic of Slovenia on 11 October 2007 to give their opinions on the applicants.

At its session on 18 October 2007, the Judicial Council of the Republic of Slovenia discussed the candidacies for the positions and gave positive opinions on all the three candidacies for the positions.

On 25 October 2007, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted a decision that all three candidates were suitable to perform the function of judge at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

According to the first paragraph of Article 6 of the Act on Nomination of Candidates from the Republic of Slovenia for Judges at International Courts, the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Janez Drnovšek, has decided to propose: