Events

14 Apr 2023

Lukashenko awards Supreme Court judges

MINSK, 14 April (BelTA) – Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko has bestowed government awards upon 12 judges of the Supreme Court. The solemn ceremony took place in the Palace of Independence on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the Supreme Court's establishment, BelTA has learned.

Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked that the 100-year-long history of establishment and development of Belarus' supreme judicial body is full of events. “It carefully preserves the memory of heads, judges of the Supreme Court and many other court workers, who gave all their strength and knowledge in service to the law. Some of them not only administered justice but protected their country against the Nazi invaders with weapons in arms during the Great Patriotic War,” he said.

The president stressed: “Experience, knowledge, civil bravery, and responsibility of your predecessors have always helped our country choose the right path of development.”

In his words, the country's court system has undergone changes many times. “But global changes for the sake of enhancing it were prompted by the gaining of state sovereignty by our country. Many of the judges, who are present here, participated in this process of reformation,” he said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko stated that the present form of the judicial branch had evolved structurally and functionally. A unified system of courts of general jurisdiction under the supervision of the Supreme Court has also been created. Granting the power of judicial administration and logistic and maintenance support to the courts secured their independence.

The president stressed: “The state pays serious attention to the court system, is interested in its constant development, and notices all the accomplishments and successes of the judicial staff. The decoration of a number of judges with high government awards represents not only a special token and respect for their personal merits. It represents an evaluation of the operation of your professional community.”

Today the head of state bestowed well-deserved awards upon some of the best Supreme Court judges – those, who have contributed to making the court system stronger and thanks to whom the Belarusian justice system continues developing dynamically.

The president bestowed Medals for Labor Merits upon the judges Tatiana Protashchik, Valentina Krivaya, Anna Sokolovskaya, Irina Tylets, Inna Tsisik, and Aleksei Tetyukhin and Medals for Impeccable Service upon the judges Piotr Listratenko, Aleksei Rybakov, and Andrei Yefremov. The Honored Lawyer of Belarus title was bestowed upon the Supreme Court judge Valentina Kulik. The judges Andrei Aleshchenko and Fyodor Chubkovets received presidential thanks.

Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed: “I am absolutely convinced that you will continue protecting your country, your Motherland in the future. From the bottom of my heart I wish you strong health, peace, prosperity, further accomplishments in your complicated line of work.”

In her response speech Valentina Kulik said she believes her new Honored Lawyer of Belarus title is the top award in her line of work. She said: “I am deeply grateful for the fact that my work, my professional activity, service to the administration of justice have been so highly appreciated by the state. I believe that it is very important for a person to choose their life path and profession. I am happy because my choice was right. I love the cause I serve and am deeply grateful for having encountered in the course of my life the remarkable people, lawyers, judges, who taught me how to serve the law, my country and people. They taught me how to understand the spirit and the letter of the law, taught me how seek truth and feel justice. And most importantly they taught how to love my job, the country and the people. These are not simply fancy words because I believe that a true judge cannot work without this feeling. Because indifference of a judge, errors or lack of professionalism cost dearly the society as a whole and individual people in particular.”

The judge said: “They say that the Supreme Court is a group of lawyers, who correct errors of other courts and immortalize their own. I'd like to tell you, Mr. President, that all of us, the entire team of the Supreme Court will endeavor not to commit such errors and most importantly will endeavor to serve people and our country as we did before.”

In turn, Chairman of the Supreme Court Valentin Sukalo stressed that all the judges of the country are very grateful for the attention the president constantly pays to the court system.

Valentin Sukalo said: “Your attitude is strict and exacting as befits a statesman. But it is also attentive and sensitive and maybe full of care in a fatherly way.” In his words, many foreign colleagues, who have visited the Supreme Court and have been made familiar with its operation, envy it in a good way because the Palace of Justice in Minsk is believed to be one of the best in Europe. “They envy the attention, the attitude you have towards us as the head of state,” the official said.

Valentin Sukalo told Aleksandr Lukashenko: “In the most complicated, difficult, turning moments of establishment of the Belarusian justice system judges turned to you and always received good advice, support, understanding and, if necessary, protection. Today every new stage of the court system's construction is conceptually discussed by you and the judge community, to whose opinion you always listen. This is why such a modern, very steady, and understandable court system has been created in our country. It is capable of enduring all the modern challenges, threats and ensures judicial protection of rights of our citizens and a decent level of public law and order.”

The Supreme Court chairman assured that the entire judicial staff correctly understands the tasks they face and recognize their level of responsibility. They are ready to do everything to continue ensuring law and order and justice in Belarus. On occasion of the anniversary Valentin Sukalo presented an exclusive copy of the special book dedicated to the history of the Belarusian court system as a gift to the head of state.