Publication details
The Illusion of Merit-Based Judicial Selection in Post-Communist Judiciary: Evidence from Slovakia
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2022 |
| Type | Peer-reviewed scientific article |
| Magazine / Source | Problems of Post-Communism |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | Open access časopisu |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.1080/10758216.2020.1806080 |
| Keywords | Judges; independence; post-communist Europe; selection procedures |
| Attached files | |
| Description | Judges all around the world, including in post-communist Europe, have become increasingly involved in the administration of judiciaries. Judicial self-governance is believed to secure greater judicial independence and merit-based decision-making regarding judicial careers. This article analyzes 126 examples of selection procedures at Slovak district courts that were held between 2012 and 2015 and finds that judge-dominated selection committees prefer candidates who can be expected to replicate the existing system. Candidates’ social and judicial cultural capital, either knowing someone in the selection committee or having a family member working as a judge, serve as vehicles for such preferences. |
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