Fostering innovative approaches to rule of law monitoring in Slovakia
The created rule of law monitoring tool is one of the main outcomes of the project “Fostering innovative approaches to rule of law monitoring in Slovakia” conducted and developed by the Slovak National Centre for Human Rights and the Center for International Legal Cooperation (CILC) thanks to the financial support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. The aim of the project was to create a rule of law monitoring tool as a practical and meaningful tool for monitoring and evaluating the state of the rule of law in Slovakia.
In essence, the monitoring tool will serve to provide relevant and comprehensive information on the state of rule of law in the selected areas for all interested stakeholders, including scholars, legal professionals, media, members of civil society, businesses or wider public. However, the rule of law monitoring tool is not intended to provide an exhaustive evaluation or description of all developments pertaining to particular areas or pillars of the rule of law. Its main objective is to enhance the regular monitoring of the most significant progress in the selected areas of the rule of law in Slovakia. and to provide a more comprehensive assessment of the situation in each of the selected areas. In addition, it will aim to include a timely identification of the most searing flaws in order to contribute to the prevention of serious deterioration in the performance in the selected areas. In other words, its functions will enable to highlight areas where significant progress has been achieved, on the contrary to also alert areas in which no progress has been achieved, or in which the standards deteriorated in comparison with previous years. Additionally to its preventive and informative functions, it will aim to encourage and initiate a public debate on the need for further legislative and policy proposals or reforms in the areas of identified searing flaws.
The created rule of law monitoring tool complements and is without prejudice to other existing and analyzed monitoring mechanisms that are tasked with monitoring and evaluating the state of the rule of law in particular selected areas. Moreover, the rule of law monitoring tool will also feed into the monitoring activities currently conducted by the Centre, namely it will provide an important and relevant source of information for further assessments in the reporting and engagement in European Rule of Law mechanism, or with other relevant international and regional monitoring mechanisms.
Our mandate
The Slovak National Centre for Human Rights is a national human rights institution established in the Slovak Republic, accredited with status B by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions. As an NHRI, the Centre is a member of the European Network of NHRIs (ENNHRI). The Centre was established by Act of Slovak National Council No. 308/1993 Coll. on the Establishment of Slovak National Centre for Human Rights, as amended. Pursuant to Act No. 365/2004 Coll. on Equal Treatment in Certain Areas and on Protection from Discrimination, as amended (Anti-Discrimination Act), as amended, the Centre also acts as the only Slovak equality body.
As an NHRI and equality body, the Centre performs a wide range of tasks in the field of protection and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the principle of equal treatment. The Centre monitors and evaluates the observance of human rights and the equal treatment principle, including by monitoring compliance with international human rights treaties and recommendations of international human rights mechanisms. As such, the engagement in European Rule of Law mechanism forms part of the Centre’s mandate to promote and protect human rights. Since 2020, the Centre has been actively involved in monitoring and reporting on the state of the rule of law in the Slovak Republic through submitting its annual report on the state of the rule of law as part of the European Network of Human Rights Institutions’ (ENNHRI) report on the State of the Rule of Law in Europe for the selected year. ENNHRI submits a joint report of all the national human rights institutions that it covers. Moreover, monitoring and reporting on the state of the rule of law in Slovakia and its fundamental pillars have become also part of the strategic areas in which the Centre is actively carrying out its activities within its mandate. These activities include engaging with different national, regional or international stakeholders as well as actively seeking opportunities for cooperation and building partnerships in order to contribute to awareness of rule of law issues.
Existence of independent national human rights institution fully compliant with United Nations Principles on the Status of National Institutions (‘Paris Principles’)
The ratio between the number of violations of the European Convention on Human Rights by Slovakia concerning the vulnerable groups and the number of violations of the European Convention of Human Rights by Slovakia concerning general population
The ratio between the number of cases where the Constitutional Court of the Slovak Republic found a violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms and the total number of applications submitted to the Constitutional Court
The existence of domestic laws and policies on prevention and fight against corruption reflecting all international and regional standards (evaluation comming soon)
The ratio between the number of convicted legal entities in corruption cases and the total number of registered corruption cases of legal entities (evaluation comming soon)
The ratio between the number of plea agreements between the prosecutor and the defendant in corruption cases and the number of total judgments with convictions in corruption cases (evaluation comming soon)
The existence of domestic legislation and policies regarding the transparency in the ownership of the media reflecting all international and regional standards (evaluation comming soon)
The ratio between the number of criminal charges pressed against journalists and the number of termination or dismissal of criminal prosecutions (evaluation comming soon)
The ratio between the number of legislative proposals submitted directly through the Parliament and the total number of all legislative proposals concerning human rights (evaluation comming soon)
The ratio between the total number of accelerated legislative procedures and the total number of legislative procedures for the given year (evaluation comming soon)
The ratio between the number of enacted laws submitted for consideration to the Constitutional Court of the Slovak Republic (regarding their compliance with the Constitution) and the total number of enacted laws annulled by the Constitutional Court of the Slovak Republic (evaluation comming soon)
The existence of domestic legislation on the establishment and functioning of CSOs reflecting all the international and regional standards (evaluation comming soon)
The existing domestic legislation and policies on the financing of CSOs reflecting all the international and regional standards (evaluation comming soon)
