Court Finds Violation in Judge’s Work, but Denies Disciplinary Action
Hrodna regional court admitted that the judge in Belarus Press Photo case made a violation when denied BAJ and BHC the right to take part in the court hearing as public representatives.
In April the judge of the Ashmiany district court Aliaksandr Davyday, when hearing the Belarus Press Photo case, did not allow lawyers of BAJ and of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee to take part in the hearing as public representatives – to which they were entitled to by the law on public associations.
BAJ and the BHC filed a complaint to the Hrodna regional court that the judge denied them the right to perform the organization’s statutory activities. The associations demanded that the decision on Belarus Press Photo should be reversed and the judge should be brought to account under disciplinary procedures.
The reply dated June 28 says that the chair of the regional court addressed a letter to the chair of the Ashmiany district court warning that “it is inadmissible for judges to violate the procedural law when hearing civil cases” and asking to prevent similar incidents.
However, the judge of the regional court decided not to start a disciplinary action against Aliaksandr Davydau, “taking into account his previous conscientious attitude to performing professional duties”.
