Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament on Friday confirmed Mirta Matić as President of the Supreme Court, making her the first woman in the country’s history to lead the highest judicial institution.
Lawmakers backed her appointment with 120 votes in favour and two against, ending a 14-month vacancy at the top of the court following the death of former Supreme Court president Radovan Dobronić in March last year.
Matić, previously a judge at the High Commercial Court and earlier at the Commercial Court, succeeds Dobronić after the Supreme Court had been led on an acting basis by Gordana Jalšovečki.
As Supreme Court president, Matić will also assume the role of head of the State Electoral Commission.
Before formally taking office for a four-year term, she must take an oath before Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković, who said he hoped this would happen as soon as possible.
Lawmakers Nino Raspudić and Marija Selak Raspudić voted against the appointment.
The appointment followed three public calls for candidates and months of political disputes between the president’s office and the government, as well as between the ruling coalition and the left-liberal opposition.
Under Croatian law, the president of the republic is the sole authorised proposer of candidates for Supreme Court president. On the third public call, issued in September last year, Matić competed against Zagreb Law Faculty professor Aleksandra Maganić and lawyer Šime Savić.
Election of the Supreme Court president in parliament requires a simple majority, while Constitutional Court judges require a two-thirds majority, making agreement with the opposition necessary.
The ruling HDZ had linked support for Matić’s appointment to the simultaneous election of three Constitutional Court judges, a move opposed by left-liberal parties, prompting the HDZ to remove the agenda item concerning opinions on Supreme Court candidates from the parliamentary judiciary committee seven times over the past five months.
The governing coalition two weeks ago endorsed Matić after nominating three candidates for the Constitutional Court without agreement from the opposition.