Since 1991, the anniversary of the promulgation of the first Prosecution Service Act on 10 June 1871 has been celebrated as the Prosecution Service Day. On this occasion, a ceremonial event was held at the Grand Hall of the Palace of Justice, attended by Tamás Sulyok, President of the Republic; Péter Polt, former Prosecutor General, new President of the Constitutional Court; and Gábor Bálint Nagy, who was elected as Prosecutor General by the National Assembly on 11 June.
In his speech, President Tamás Sulyok — who nominated Dr Gábor Bálint Nagy for the vacant office of the Prosecutor General on 15 May — welcomed both the former and the newly elected Prosecutor General.
The President of the Republic emphasized that: “The foundation of public prosecution is nothing other than the protection of the public interest. It is important that we remind ourselves and society of this again and again. Public safety, for which the Prosecution Service works tirelessly every day, is a vital necessity for every Hungarian family and every Hungarian citizen. Therefore, I consider it essential to express our recognition and appreciation to every member of the prosecutorial profession, as through their work they contribute to the orderly and undisturbed everyday life of society.”
Péter Polt, former Prosecutor General — who was elected as President of the Constitutional Court on 11 June — highlighted in his speech the importance of professional dedication for prosecutors to perform their duties to a high standard. Péter Polt recalled the significant progress made by the organisation over the past two and a half decades, expressed his gratitude to all of the prosecution staff for their devoted work, and wished great success to Gábor Bálint Nagy in his new role as Prosecutor General.
In his inaugural address, Prosecutor General Gábor Bálint Nagy praised the achievements of the organisation and his predecessor in office — highlighting in particular the establishment of a unified prosecutorial investigation system, the development of specialisation, the ability to adapt to change, and the excellent international relations, as clearly demonstrated by the conference of European Prosecutors General held in Budapest in May. Gábor Bálint Nagy pointed out that the organisation’s professional performance is clearly positive, even when viewed through the courts’ scrutiny: in recent years, courts have found that approximately 99% of defendants prosecuted were indeed guilty of committing a crime. The courts’ external professional oversight has also confirmed the lawfulness of prosecutorial decisions regarding the dismissal of complaints or the termination of proceedings. The success rate of private prosecutions initiated by victims is merely a few percent, while in so-called supplementary private prosecutions, investigating judges have never found it necessary to file an indictment contrary to the prosecution service’s position.
On this special day — taking into account the exceptional circumstances — Gábor Bálint Nagy, as the newly elected Prosecutor General, and Péter Polt, the outgoing Prosecutor General, jointly presented awards and remunerations.
At the ceremony, the Prosecutor General presented the Sándor Kozma Award, the highest professional honour within the Prosecution Service, to seven staff members in recognition of their outstanding professional standards and exemplary dedication.
Seven prosecution employees received the Ferenc Vargha Award for their exceptional performance.
In recognition of their distinguished professional careers, the Prosecutor General awarded the Prosecution Service Commemorative Ring to nine current or former prosecution employees.
Twenty-nine colleagues were honoured with the István Magyar Award for their highly professional and dedicated work.
The Ferenc Székely Award was granted to four junior prosecutors and prosecutorial trainees for their outstanding performance.
Three prosecution staff members were presented with commemorative gifts in appreciation of their long-term, exemplary service.
Thirteen entrants were awarded prizes for their submissions to the scientific essay competition announced by the Prosecutor General in memory of Sándor Kozma.
In addition, the President of the National Association of Prosecutors presented a special award with a cash prize to one participant in the competition.
As the closing moment of the celebration, Prosecutor General Gábor Bálint Nagy awarded a Prosecution Service Commemorative Ring to his predecessor, former Prosecutor General Péter Polt, on behalf of the organisation, expressing gratitude for his more than two decades of service as the head of the Hungarian Prosecution Service.
