Azerbaijani media to be given opportunity to obtain information on court ‘s activities

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The Azerbaijani media will be given the opportunity to obtain operational information on the court’s activities. According to the information of Trend News, the meeting of the Azerbaijani parliamentary committee on legislative and legal policy, held on Oct. 5, recommended to discuss the bill “On receipt of information regarding the courts” in the Parliament.

The bill which is composed of five chapters and 25 articles, determines the principles of obtaining information about the court’s activities. The document also reflects restrictions on the provision of information considered as a state secret. Information relating to the court’s activities can be obtained in writing, orally, by telephone, and may also be available on the Internet.

Some judges have refrained from providing information media, committee chairman Ali Huseynov said. They consider requests towards the courts, as interference in the judiciary. There is different approach to solving this problem in the civilized countries, Huseynov added.

“There are projects on TV channels abroad to view the court’s activities. One of the Azerbaijani TV channels also has such a project. However, a person acting in this project as a judge at the time was discharged for violating ethics rules and judicial morality. I am very sorry that this man promotes public rules of judicial ethics and morality,” Huseynov said.

The problem will be removed with the adoption of this law, committee member, Gudrat Hasanguliyev, added. According to Hasanguliyev, contrary to the Constitution, the Chairman of the Judicial Legal Council is the head of the executive agency – the Minister of Justice. “Under the principle of separation of powers, the judiciary is an independent wing of power,” the MP said.

The judicial system should be reformed and the procedures for appointing members of the Judicial-Legal Council should be revised, Hasanguliyev said. Hasanguliyev said that his party has prepared and submitted to the parliament new project on amendments and additions to the Constitution, which reflected these issues.