(ANSA) - STRASBOURG, DEC 14 - ''I'm concerned over the great powers given to the minister of justice through the law on administrative courts approved by the Hungarian parliament on December 12''. Dunja Mijatovic, the Human Rights Commissioner of the Council of Europe, has espressed her criticism of the justice reform that was passed on the same day as the so-called 'slave' law.

According to the Commissioner, the text establishing a new system of administrative courts ''raises doubts about the independence of the judiciary''. Dunja Mijatovic therefore asks the Hungarian President, Janos Ader, ''to send the bill back to parliament in order to allow a complete reassessment''.

The Commissioner regretted that the Hungarian government and parliament did not await the opinion of the Venice Commission requested by the Minister of Justice, before voting it. The Venice Commission, whose plenary session will take place this weekend in plenary session, confirmed that it had received the request last November, but that it has not yet appointed the speakers who will have to prepare it.

The new Hungarian law will also be ''probably one of the issues that the GRECO will evaluate during the visit to Hungary scheduled for the beginning of 2019 and linked to the non-implementation of the EU recommendations'', the executive secretary of the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) of the Council of Europe Gianluca Esposito told ANSA. (ANSA).