Avocats.be, the Order of the French and German-speaking Bars, said on Sunday that the Minister for the Interior, Jan Jambon (N-VA), should “shut up”, following his media appearance. Speaking to these organisations, Jambon considered it incomprehensible that the lawyer for Salah Abdeslam has requested the inadmissibility of prosecution in any form for his client, during the Forest shooting trial.
The President, Jean-Pierre Buyle, mentioned, “Impartiality is based upon the separation of powers.”
He criticised, “It is unacceptable for the Minister for the Interior to intervene in a legal case, which is currently in progress!” He added, “His concern should be the police and security, and leave it to the lawyers to be concerned with the law. Only the lawyers can ensure that laws are respected.” In summary he stressed that each professional should do their job, in accordance with the rule of law.
Moreover, the President of Avocats.be observes a fairly slow evolution in the lack of consideration by the government and parliament for the judiciary. He thus noted several aspects that have pursued this direction in recent years, notably mentioning the requests for lifting parliamentary immunity, upon which several parliaments have had to decide.
Jean-Pierre Buyle concludes, “How we dispense justice in Belgium is inadmissible.”
Earlier on Sunday, the Order of the Flemish Bar had reacted that the Minister for the Interior appears to be unaware of what a lawyer’s role is. The body stressed, “It is the place of the judge, and not the Minister for the Interior, to monitor whether there is a given procedural defect. The judge must not be placed under pressure by anybody.”
The Brussels Times
