Former Fidesz MP candidate and chief prosecutor Péter Polt elected head of Hungary’s Constitutional Court – UPDATED

Péter Polt has been elected head of the Constitutional Court on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Parliament’s judicial committee voted to support the nomination of Ákos Kozma to fill a vacant post on the Constitutional Court.

Former chief prosecutor Polt elected head of Hungary’s Constitutional Court

The former chief prosecutor was elected by Parliament in a secret vote with 134 votes in favour, 13 votes against and no abstentions. He was elected as a member of the Constitutional Court in May and took office this week.

Ombudsman Ákos Kozma was elected as member of the Constitutional Court by Parliament, also in a secret vote and with the same vote proportions, for twelve years. He will take office on September 26.

Lawmakers also decided to elect Bálint Gábor Nagy, department head at the Chief Prosecutor’s Office, as Chief Prosecutor, also in secret vote and also with 134 votes in favour and 13 votes against, for nine years.

The new president of the Constitutional Court as well as the new Chief Prosecutor took the oath before Parliament.

Parliament committee approves Kozma’s nomination for Constitutional Court

Parliament’s judicial committee on Tuesday voted to support the nomination of Ákos Kozma, selected by the ruling parties, to fill a vacant post on the Constitutional Court.

Kozma has been ombudsman for the past six years. In his committee hearing, he said “legal protection is not just a technical routine ; a constitutional judge’s work is … a moral obligation, an institutional guarantee of public trust, solidarity within society, and of the protection of personal rights.” Parliament will later vote on Kozma’s CC membership.