The Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM) on November 1 suspended the regulations concerning access to courts of law, which contains restrictive norms, especially about the conditions of participation by the mass media in public hearings. Earlier, a number of media organizations and editorial staffs in a joint statement described these regulations as abuse by the SCM, IPN reports.

The press service of the SCM stated for Media Azi that the decision to suspend the regulations was taken in the November 1 meeting.

"The members of the SCM reached the conclusion that the regulations contained erroneous provisions that should be revised. They also suggested that all those interested – journalists, representatives of civil society and others – should submit proposals on the issue. The SCM members didn’t set deadlines in this regard," said the press service.

At the end of October, NGOs and editorial staffs of media outlets protested against the imposition by these regulations of abusive restrictions contrary to the European practices in the area of access to information and media access to courts of law. These described the adoption by the SCM of the regulations concerning access to courts of law as abuse by the Council by which additional restrictions on the access to hearings are imposed on journalists and editorial staffs of media outlets. They requested the SCM to annul its decision to approve the regulations and to initiate discussions on the issue with the participation of journalists and media outlets.

The regulations provide, among others, that an application for participation should be filed 24 hours before the hearing, by presenting the identity card and a copy of it and by having special accreditation for access to court of law.