With the passage of the revamped Civil Code and the Legal Status of the Judiciary Act, the National Assembly has completed a legislative process not seen in half a century. Court President Iwan Rasoelbaks spoke of "making history for the rule of law in Suriname" and thanked former DNA president Marinus Bee and parliamentarians Asiskumar Gajadien, Genevievre Jordan and Cheryl Dijksteel for their "special contribution" in the past legislature.
According to Rasoelbaks, the laws give concrete substance to article 141 of the Constitution and strengthen the institutional safeguards of the judiciary: from independence and legal protection to predictability of justice. As a token of appreciation, Bee, Gajadien, Jordan and Dijksteel received a plaque for their role as chairman, (co)initiator and rapporteur within the legislative process.
The court president emphasized that the societal mission of judges often provokes clashes, "judges are 'condemned' for life by the losing party" but that for this very reason a clear legal framework and a solid legal position are indispensable. The modernization of the Civil Code, Rasoelbaks said, provides tangible legal development: citizens, entrepreneurs and investors now have updated, more applicable standards that promote legal certainty and economic dynamism.
