Luanda: The exchange of experiences in disciplinary matters and the prevention of violations of institutional duties dominated the visit of the parliamentarians of the 9th Commission (Ethics and Parliamentary Decorum) of the National Assembly to the Superior Council of the Judicial Magistracy (CSMJ) on Friday in Luanda. Speaking to the press at the end of the meeting, the president of the Commission, parliamentarian S©rgio Leonardo Vaz, explained that both the CSMJ and the organization to which he belongs have similar responsibilities in the disciplinary monitoring of the members of their respective sovereign bodies.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the meeting also allowed for discussion of issues related to the material operating conditions of the Superior Council of the Judiciary, considering the visit "fruitful." Regarding the conduct of the parliamentarians, S©rgio Vaz considered that, in general, parliamentary behavior has been positive. "The conduct of the parliamentarians is good, I would even say excellent, typical of the political debate that takes place in Parliament, despite some exceptional cases already recorded," he acknowledged.
However, he also highlighted the need to strengthen prevention mechanisms in order to avoid the initiation of disciplinary proceedings. 'We need to strengthen prevention mechanisms so that we don't have to initiate disciplinary proceedings. Therefore, we also want to learn about the mechanisms used by the Superior Council of the Judiciary,' he said.
In turn, the member and spokesperson for the CSMJ, Correia Bartolomeu, explained that the initiative stems from the need for closer ties between the sovereign bodies, given that the courts and the National Assembly perform distinct functions, but have points of contact in administrative, asset, and human resources management. According to Correia Bartolomeu, the National Assembly requested the meeting to gather experiences from the CSMJ on conducting disciplinary proceedings, especially within the scope of the competences of the 9th and 10th Parliamentary Committees.
He clarified that the Superior Council of the Judiciary is the body responsible for the disciplinary management of judicial magistrates, and it was in this context that experiences were shared regarding the processing of cases, measures applied, rights and guarantees of defendants, as well as the sanctions foreseen. The spokesperson also stated that, in the last two years, at least five judges have been dismissed for practices associated with acts of corruption.
Regarding the challenges of the Angolan judicial system, Correia Bartolomeu pointed to the need to bring justice closer to citizens, reduce procedural delays, and strengthen the capacity of magistrates and judicial officials. "The objective is to increasingly moralize the judicial system and ensure greater procedural speed," he emphasized.
