Justice Minister Limbach receives support from predecessor
NRW Justice Minister Benjamin Limbach (Greens), who has come under pressure, has received support from one of his predecessors. Limbach is accused of having inadmissibly interfered in the appointment procedure for the head of the Higher Administrative Court in Münster. Wolfgang Gerhards (SPD), NRW Minister of Justice from 2002-2005, defended Limbach on Monday.
There could be no question of undue influence: Limbach, as Minister of Justice, was responsible for making a selection and proposing a candidate to the cabinet. "That is his task and duty," Gerhards told the German Press Agency in Bonn.
"The appointment process was there when he came into office." His predecessor Peter Biesenbach (CDU) "was obviously not really convinced by either candidate, otherwise he would have been able to make a decision in good time." The fact that Limbach had held talks with the candidates and formed his own opinion was not cheating. The two candidates had also asked Limbach for the interview.
"If he tells them straight up that there is another candidate who could win the race, there is nothing wrong with that," said Gerhards. "I think it's right to say that the race is open again. That is an act of fairness. As a minister, you don't want good people to run into the open." Word gets around very quickly about those who apply for such positions. "You can't prevent that."
Gerhards said that he had "taken note" of the fact that his party, the SPD, was now calling for Limbach's resignation: "They're wrong, the comrades." During Gerhards' time in office, Limbach was his office manager in the Düsseldorf Ministry of Justice. "We have known each other for 20 years," he said. Limbach was still an SPD member at the time.
The SPD and FDP are calling for Limbach's resignation. The opposition factions have arranged for another special meeting of the Legal Affairs Committee in the state parliament on the subject next Wednesday.
Limbach's personal interactions with the candidates during the appointment process should not be deemed as deceitful, considering they also initiated these conversations. Gerhards, Limbach's former office manager and SPD ally, defends his stance on justice, stating, "If he tells them straight up that there is another candidate who could win the race, there is nothing wrong with that."
Source: www.dpa.com
