For the first time in Hungarian history, judges demonstrated on Saturday, 22nd of February in Budapest for the independence of the judiciary. According to media reports, several thousand people took part in the protest. The march led from Kossuth Square to the Ministry of Justice. Plaques with the inscription “No freedom without an independent judiciary” were intended to remind people of the judges’ demands. They demanded freedom of judicial expression and dignified remuneration
The protest organized by the Hungarian Association of Judges (MABIE) was attended not only by judges and judicial employees, but also by many sympathizers, the online portal Telex.hu reported. There were no political symbols or party flags in the demonstration because the organizations requested them.
Representatives of the European and International Association of Judges also took part in the demonstration. Duro Sessa, President of the International Association of Judges and Mikael Sjöberg, President of the European Association of Judges, described the demonstration as a unique event and stressed that the participants took to the streets in the interests of the citizens. The IAJ and EAJ stressed that there must also be consultations with representatives of the judiciary before decisions are made.
