Prime Minister Robert Fico on Friday (10 April) announced plans to file a criminal complaint against Specialised Criminal Court (STS) judge Pamela Záleská on suspicion of the abuse of public office, claiming that Záleská ruled with bias in the case of ex-special prosecutor Dušan Kováčik. Fico cited the Supreme Court's appellate decision, which in December 2025 overturned both the Supreme Court's original judgment and STS's ruling. He also wants Justice Minister Boris Susko (Smer-SD) to file disciplinary charges against Záleská.
The 'For Open Justice' (ZOJ) judicial initiative views statements made by the Premier as a typical example of criminalising a judge for their decision-making, warning that such conduct represents a dangerous precedent of political interference in the judiciary.
The inititative added that the criticism concerned judge Záleská's ruling in the criminal case of the former special prosecutor Dušan Kováčik, which was also upheld by an appellate court. "It was only overturned at the level of the special appeal proceedings, which are a legitimate part of the judicial system designed to remedy potential legal errors," stated ZOJ.
According to Judges for Open Judiciary (ZOJ), the prime minister’s statements can be perceived only as an abuse of political power aimed at exerting inadmissible pressure on a specific judge, which the association says directly contradicts the fundamental principles of the rule of law.
Source: TASR
