No mention of party affiliation in code for judges

A new draft law on the Status of Judges and Prosecutors does not prohibit the judiciary from affiliation with political parties and allows Supreme Court judges and prosecutors to work beyond the mandatory retirement age of 60, when all other judges will be expected to retire. The long-awaited law, one of three now in the final stages of drafting, is supposed to ensure the independence of the country’s judiciary, which is widely considered to be mired in corruption and beholden to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling CPP. Article 107 of the 111-article draft law, a copy of which was obtained Thursday, states that “for serving judges and prosecutors in all the courts, their work is incompatible with public duties, such as lawmakers, senators, government members and all positions received in an election mandate,” and that they can also not work as legal representatives on a private basis. No mention, however, is made of political party affiliation. … The law does contain a code of ethics that governs both judges and prosecutors, which makes no reference in the draft form to political party membership. “Judges and prosecutors must be balanced and stand on their principles, respect the law, and don’t act under pressure or threats,” the code of ethics states. …

Khy Sovuthy
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/no-mention-of-party-affiliation-in-code-for-judges-54183/