Justice of the peace and police judges in Namur are taking action in protest against government plans regarding their pensions and the lack of resources in the justice sector, according to a press release issued on Friday evening.
Earlier this week, the public prosecutor’s offices in East and West Flanders, along with the Labour Auditor’s Office in Ghent, had already announced protest measures.
Starting on Monday, 5 May, the public prosecution will ask police judges in East and West Flanders to postpone the handling of most cases for a week.
In Namur District, police judges will begin deferring cases related to speeding violations, appeals against payment orders, and cases where the defendants are absent or not represented, postponing them by several months. They also reserve the right to limit the number of cases heard per session.
Additionally, the district’s justices of the peace and police judges will make decisions regarding the typical €50 fee for court listings.
“Justices of the peace and police judges of the Namur Judicial District, like their colleagues nationwide, were deeply shocked when they learned about the significant changes the current government plans to make in the calculation of their pensions,” the judges said in their statement.
“This proposed reform is effectively the last straw, exacerbating our dissatisfaction with the structural underfunding we’ve faced for many years,” they added.
