Kamenec: 2025 Saw Hasty Changes to Laws When Debate Was Desirable

Bratislava, 4 January (TASR) - Last year saw several literally hasty changes to legislation in areas where a proper debate would have been desirable for good reasons, Slovak Bar Association (SAK) president Tomas Kamenec has said in an end-of-year interview with TASR. It's quite often the case that fundamental changes are adopted via fast-tracked legislative procedures without any discussion. According to SAK, this practice is unsustainable in the long term, be it with regard to the protection of whistleblowers or amendments to the Penal Code. "We've commented in detail on several serious changes. One example is the amendment to the Slovak Constitution, about which we adopted a stance based on opinions prepared by a group of renowned constitutional lawyers," said Kamenec. As regards the recent Penal Code amendment addressing petty theft, Kamenec perceives it as an attempt to respond to a situation that evolved directly from a big package of changes adopted previously via a fast-tracked legislative procedure. However, according to him, other unrelated issues were added at the last minute without expert debate, again via a fast-tracked procedure. "The purpose of criminal law should be to protect society and its legitimate interests, but there was no expert discussion, which I assess very critically," said Kamenec. He also spoke about the European Commission's 2025 Rule of Law Report on Slovakia, describing it as good feedback. According to Kamenec, it's undeniable that Slovakia faces several urgent challenges with regard to the rule of law. SAK is facilitating the preparation of a new Civil Code, in particular by organising expert working groups. Kamenec perceives cooperation with the Justice Ministry as being very constructive. He added that SAK has invested a huge amount of energy, experience and expertise in the project. jrg/df