Minister of Justice László Trócsányi said he would look into possibility of amending the law to restore the Constitutional Court’s power to rule on budget and tax-related issues.

In an interview with weekly Heti Válasz published on 12 June 2014, he expressed the hope that the regulation stripping the country’s top court of this power would be „withdrawn sooner or later”. When the decision was originally introduced, Hungary’s recovery from the economic crisis was at stake, he added.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in May 2013 that the Government would abide by its earlier pledge to restore the Constitutional Court’s power to rule on budget and tax-related issues once the public debt falls below 50 percent.

Minister Trócsányi said he would look into the possibility of amending the law as „it is unfortunate if those initiating changes in the budget seek legal remedy abroad, rather than in Hungary.”

Commenting on the issue of real life imprisonment without parole, Minister Trócsányi stated that the Fundamental Law included the possibility of pardon and a separate law is planned to be submitted to parliament to regulate the circumstances of granting pardon. However, he said „the Fundamental Law will continue to include life imprisonment without parole.”

Under the constitution, the President of the Republic has the right to grant clemency to individuals while granting amnesty falls within the scope of authority of parliament.

(Ministry of Justice)