İstanbul Bar: Legal Year Opening Ceremony at Presidency Conflicts with Ethical Principles

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After the İzmir Bar Association has announced that they will not attend the new legal year opening ceremony to be held by the Supreme Court of Appeals at the Presidential Complex in the capital city of Ankara, the İstanbul Bar Association has also refused to attend the ceremony.

'We will not give up our quest for justice'

The İstanbul Bar Association has released a written statement and announced that they will not attend the ceremony.

Indicating that "they, as the İstanbul Bar Association, will never give up their quest for justice", the Bar has expressed their thanks to the Supreme Court of Appeals for its invitation and stated the following in brief:

"However, since the fact that the meeting in question will be held at the Presidential Congress and Culture Hall would mean the rejection of all doctrines that we know about democracy, law and justice, it will not be possible for us to accept your invitation.

'It would conflict with ethical principles'

"We, as the İstanbul Bar Association, will never give up our quest for justice. (...) While sincere steps need to be taken to establish and consolidate independence of the judiciary, which is the most fundamental indicator of this quest, we do not want to be a party to the view of opening the judicial year in places of the executive and gradually turning it into a 'customary practice'.

"We are of the conviction that it would conflict not only with the Article 104 of the Constitution, but also with the judicial ethical principles which were announced by your presidency itself just a few months ago.

'Presidential system undermines separation of powers'

"Dear President [of the Supreme Court], you must also be observing that this new system, called 'Presidential Government System', is undermining the separation of powers and reinforcing a gradual quest for 'unity'.

'We resist, running the risk of paying a price'

Concluding the statement, the İstanbul Bar has added, "We think that we can cover great distance in the direction of a 'state of law' if our resistance, which we put up as the profession of advocacy by running the risk of paying a price if needs be, can be shared with the other subjects of the judiciary."

Muğla and Adana Bars will not attend the ceremony

Releasing statements about the ceremony, Muğla and Adana Bar Associations have also announced that they will not attend the ceremony, either. While the Muğla Bar has emphasized that "it will cast shadow upon impartiality of the judiciary", the Adana Bar has underlined that "it will increase the distrust of people towards the judiciary." (RT/DB/SD)

* Photograph: Anadolu Agency (AA)