Azerbaijan, Baku, 10 July / Trend , corr K. Zarbaliyeva/ If the annual income of the judges in the United States reveal big difference, a suit is filed against them, John Walker, circuit judge of the Court of Appeals of the United States said while answering the question of Trend correspondent in a press conference in Baku.
The US Circuit Judge said that the judges inform the public about their income every year in US. The Property Statement indicates not exact, but approximate prices of the property. "If there is big difference between next and previous statement, a case can be filed about that judge. The appropriate bodies investigate the sources of this additional income," Walker said.
Though the Azerbaijani legislation requires state servants to introduce property statement, its mechanism has not been worked out so far.
The chairman of the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan Ramiz Rzayev said to media earlier that measures were taken for judges to introduce property statement and it would take effect soon.
Wolfgang Row, executive secretary of the Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO) of the Council of Europe said in his interview with Trend that the assessment report of GRECO included the check-up mechanism of the property statement which judges have to introduce. GRECO advised Azerbaijan to check up finance applications in this field in. In October 2008, GRECO will asses the progress in this field in Azerbaijan.
Over 30 judges were removed from their positions, as case have been filed against about 50 judges and three judges have been removed from their post earlier than it was planned as a result of the assessment of the activities of judges in 2007.
The staff of judges was increased by 50% by the Presidential order in 2007.
There are 327 judges in Azerbaijan with over 200 vacancies for judges.
The judges are elected in Azerbaijan for unlimited period. They retire at 65 with up to 70 as an exception.
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