Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Belgium’s Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden introduced a plan to improve court buildings, security, and staff conditions, excluding pension cuts, aiming to ease protests and start further reforms.
As VRT News reported, Annelies Verlinden, the Minister of Justice, has introduced a new plan to help Belgium‘s struggling justice system. This plan aims to address major issues within the system. It follows dissatisfaction among judges and staff, especially after the government cut judicial pensions.
She mentioned that the new plan doesn’t change the pension cuts. Instead, it focuses on other important problems. Verlinden talked with people from the justice system to create the plan. The plan includes fixing old court buildings, making jobs safer for those working in the justice system.
What will Belgium’s justice plan achieve without changing pensions?
The plan will fix old court buildings and update technology for safer and better courtrooms. She mentioned that it also aims to protect staff with better security and police help. To make legal jobs more attractive, the plan will hire more support staff and offer incentives.
Some people are unhappy because the plan doesn’t address pensions. They believe pensions are important for trust and stability. Many in the justice system think a complete solution, including pension changes, is needed.
“This is of course, a first step, because the urgency for further investments and reforms has not been removed. But I am pleased that we can give some oxygen to justice with these first small successes,” says the minister.
The Justice Minister is improving things for people in the courts. They will now get meal vouchers and money to work from home, just like other government workers. Those who speak both Dutch and French will get paid more.
Officials mentioned that magistrates in training can now use all their past work experience, not just 2 years. This helps them in their jobs. The plan will also look at salaries to see if they need to be changed. This could lead to bigger changes later on.
“Where we ask citizens to trust the justice system, the justice system itself must not give any reason to weaken confidence in its functioning and justice,” says Verlinden.
The Justice Minister has said that the money needed for these improvements is already available. She understands that people in the courts are not happy, but she wants them to keep working. She mentioned that the main question now is whether the magistrates will be satisfied enough to stop their protests.
The Attorney General in Brussels is happy about the plan, but he says that there are still more things that need to be done. He hopes that this is the beginning of talks to fix all the problems, such as pensions and the condition of the buildings. He thinks this is a good first step, even though it doesn’t solve everything
The Attorney General in Brussels says, “Further negotiations needed, but certainly good news.”
