Thousands of judges and court workers held a demonstration in Budapest on February 22 for the freedom of the judiciary, organised by the Hungarian Judiciary Association (MABIE).

The demonstration was held at the same time as Viktor Orban's state of the nation speech.

The participants carried banners with slogans such as "Justice is not for sale!" and "Judicial independence ensures your security!" The organisers declared the protest to be politically neutral, but an opposition party produced an on-site video report about the event.

As part of efforts to unlock frozen EU funds, the government committed to implementing a series of reforms within the judiciary. One of the key conditions was strengthening the role of the OBT, the self-governing body of judges, which oversees the central administration of the courts. Late last year, the government pushed through an agreement with key judicial bodies – including the OBT – as a condition for salary increases. Although the OBT was meant to review such legislation, the government bypassed this requirement by exploiting a legal loophole, forcing the bill through parliament without consultation. The Hungarian Association of Judges and several judicial officials have strongly opposed the deal, arguing that it undermines judicial independence and opens the door to further government interference.

As part of the reform package, the government pledged significant salary increases for judges and court workers, though some conditions included raising the minimum age for judicial appointments to 35.

The controversy escalated when a senior judge resigned in protest, stating that the justice system had lost its independence. Shortly thereafter, the head of the OBT resigned, and the OBT decided to withdraw from the agreement.

The crisis highlighted growing concerns over judicial autonomy in Hungary, with fears that the government will continue to exert control over the courts through similar political manoeuvres.

At the protest held in front of the Justice Ministry, MABIE head Katalin Boros said  that judges felt that recent measures had curbed judicial independence. Organisational and legal status reforms were adopted by the legislative and executive branches without substantial consultation with the judiciary, she said. Judiciary employees were increasingly vulnerable because there had been no adequate wage raises, she added.

Full independence and adequate pay were key to serving the public, she said. "If judicial independence is shaken, the rights of all citizens are at risk, because there is no freedom without an independent judiciary," she said.

Mikael Sjoberg, the head of the European Association of Judges (EAJ), said the protest was a sign of "the rule of law facing an ultimate challenge in Hungary". The EAJ supports the demonstration, he said. Sjoberg said that at the end of last year, the EAJ sent a letter to the Hungarian justice minister, protesting against the government's attempt to make wage hikes conditional on introducing judicial reforms, which the EAJ said undermined judicial independence.

Duro Sessa, the leader of the International Association of Judges, said the government should ensure that the judiciary takes part in decisions on the sector's budget and that they are consulted on all decisions concerning the sector.