European judicial cooperation, too, should be placed in the service of the fight against the epidemic, Justice Minister Judit Varga told the Hungarian news agency MTI on Monday.

“Protecting human life and health is our number one responsibility. Everything we are saying and doing today will be judged by posterity based on whether they helped or prevented the saving of human lives,” Ms. Varga stressed at today’s informal video conference of the European Union’s justice ministers.

As the epidemic does not allow ministers of Member States to meet as part of a normal council meeting, the European Union’s Croatian presidency initiated a video conference to discuss issues related to the challenges facing the judiciary and European judicial cooperation. All Member States have implemented extraordinary measures in the interest of the fight against the epidemic, and these also concern the administration of justice. In Hungary, our goal is to minimise procedural acts requiring face-to-face interaction, and to extend written or electronic administration, Ms. Varga said. At the same time, she stressed that the continuity of the administration of justice must be guaranteed. “In Hungary, there is no judicial recess, and we are facilitating meetings of the Constitutional Court with flexible procedural rules. Every court is fully operational,” the Minister added. Ms. Varga firmly rejected “unfounded accusations” related to the state of rule of law in Hungary. “Those who are concerned about the state of rule of law in Hungary are fighting an imaginary enemy. I’m asking everyone to cooperate, and those who are unable to help should at least not hinder our containment efforts by spreading all kinds of fake news,” the Minister said.

(MTI)