The government will with immediate effect initiate suspension of the payment of damages awarded to convicts due to prison conditions, the Justice Minister announced at a press conference held on Monday in Budapest.

Judit Varga said during the day they will submit to Parliament a bill seeking to put an end to this “unfair practice” as part of an urgent procedure. She added that due to the urgent procedure, government-party MPs will seek the opposition’s support in Parliament.

According to the bill, they would suspend the payment of damages until the regulations related to compensation due to prison conditions are amended. This requires society’s support, and therefore the new regulations will be drafted after the national consultation, in line with its outcome, the Minister said.

According to Mrs Varga’s information, so far 12,680 decisions have been adopted in lawsuits instituted due to prison conditions, providing for taxpayer funds to the value of HUF 9 billion. However, only 10 per cent of this sum has actually been paid to the injured parties, she added.

The purpose of the legislative amendment is to put an end to this unfair situation, and to place the emphasis on the rights of victims and their relatives, she stressed.

It is further the government’s intention to improve conditions in law enforcement institutions within the shortest possible time, and to put an end to overcrowding, the Justice Minister said, adding that in the future it will not be possible to pay damages to escrow accounts held by attorneys; any such sums will only be payable to the accounts of law enforcement institutions or the accounts of the beneficiaries themselves.

(MTI)