Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The French-speaking commercial court in Brussels is protesting by referring all cases involving the Belgian state to the general roll, delaying justice, amid staff shortages, funding issues, and pension concerns.
As VRT News reported, the French-speaking commercial court of Brussels is sending all cases where the Belgian government is involved to the general roll, which means they’ll be delayed for a long time. They mentioned that this includes important cases like bankruptcies, where they usually act quickly to protect people and the economy. Also, the court won’t help with dissolving companies anymore.
They’re also stopping the collection of a 165-euro fee for each case, which is a tax that goes directly to the government. By doing these things, the judges are trying to show how bad things are because the government isn’t acting and isn’t giving them enough money, which is affecting the justice system in Belgium.
Is Belgium’s justice system at risk due to staff and pension cuts?
The government’s plan to change judges’ pensions is also causing problems. The plan might lower pension benefits, but it doesn’t explain how the new pensions will work or what the limits are. This makes judges worry about their money in the future.
According to De Harven, this is another problem for a job that already has to do a lot with not enough help. He points out that many court buildings are falling apart, and the working conditions for judges and staff are getting worse.
He mentioned that the court’s protest isn’t just about money; it’s a call for respect and a promise to fix the justice system so it can work well and be fair. Judges warn that if things don’t change soon, the quality and fairness of justice in Belgium could be in danger.
“It will become impossible to attract competent people if the only thing that makes our profession even remotely attractive is taken away.”
Press magistrate Pierre-Yves de Harven
The judges in Belgium are upset and starting to lose motivation, according to Pierre-Yves de Harven. He says the current protests and actions by the enterprise court aren’t about getting special treatment, but about defending the law itself.
They’re worried that the quality of justice is getting worse because of problems like not enough staff, too much work, and now the new threat of unclear pension changes. The French-speaking court is protesting on purpose, as a symbol, and in a practical way. They want to warn the government and the public about the bad working conditions.
“It will become completely impossible to attract competent and experienced people if, on top of the already difficult situation, the only thing that makes the profession of magistrate at all attractive is taken away,”
Said the press magistrate.
The French-speaking business court in Belgium is not just against the government’s pension plans for judges, but also about how the justice system is always short on money. They mentioned that a workload check in 2023 showed that judges in Belgium work about 54 hours a week, way more than they should.
The French-speaking business court should have 17.5 full-time judges to handle all the cases, but it only has 14. This forces the judges to work extra hard, which causes them to be overworked and could lead to them burning out.
