[ad_1]
The Judicial Ethics and Discipline Commission filed an application with the Judges Honor Court on Thursday, which acknowledged at its meeting that M. Striaukas had demoted the name of a judge for his conduct.
During the deliberations of the judiciary on the matter of the council to the president, many members expressed their support for Mr. Striauk and argued that his removal would be too severe and too early a sanction.
The president of the Council, Algimantas Valantinas, recalled that “we are not only members of the Council of Judges, but also judges” and stressed that in each case it is necessary to evaluate not only the factual circumstances of the case, but also the personality of the offender.
Loreta Braždienė, the president of the Vilnius Regional Court, stated that in the past there have been cases where sober judges caught behind the wheel were sentenced to lighter sentences.
“It really is a case where we probably need to stop and self-assess. This mistake really couldn’t erode 20 years of work,” he said.
Vilnius Regional Court Judge Arūnas Bartkus emphasized that M. Striaukas is “one of the strongest specialists in criminal law”.
“We cannot allow our judicial system to lose such a strong professional,” said A. Bartkus.
Other members of the Council of Judges also expressed their support for the judge, and Ramūnas Gadliauskas, Vice President of the Council, proposed to postpone consideration of this matter until the decision of the Judges’ Court of Honor is received.
This proposal was supported by 16 of the 20 members present.
After the hearing, A. Valantinas stated that the Council of Judges would submit a request to the Court of Honor of Judges to request that consideration of this matter be expedited.
M. Striaukas, who was present at the Council meeting, said in an apology that he apologized to all the judges and took full responsibility for their actions.
“I am very sorry for what I have done for you, for each individual and for the entire judicial system. Due to the situation, I assume all the blame, I assume any responsibility that awaits me and I understand that the responsibility may be the most severe, ”said M. Striaukas.
He also admitted to drinking alcohol at night before the police arrested him.
On Monday, President Gitanas Nausėda sought advice from the Council of Judges to remove M. Striaukas after his conduct degraded the judge.
According to the president, the highest ethical standards for the conduct of judges must be established. The reputation of judges must be impeccable, and their moral provisions cannot be questioned.
“These doubts undermine confidence in the entire judiciary. The courts must operate in such a way that the public trusts them,” the president’s representative at the hearing said.
M. Striaukas was detained by the police behind the wheel of a car on the morning of May 19, at approximately 7.40 in the morning, in Vilnius.
According to Vilnius County Police, the Škoda Superb car was stopped on Dzūkų Street, and M. Striaukas’ drunk driving was set at 0.61 per thousand.
It is strictly prohibited to use the information published by DELFI on other websites, in the media or elsewhere, or to distribute our material in any way without consent, and if consent has been obtained, DELFI must be cited as the source.
[ad_2]
