Last year, more than €38,000 was spent sending judges abroad for training or conferences, and in some cases luxury hotels were booked and provided accommodation, costing up to €290 per night, reports Breaking News.
The Judicial Council said all bookings were made “as economically as possible”, although some hotel bookings were made at five-star establishments.
The cost database includes more than €3,000 for two judges staying at the five-star Divani Caravel Hotel in Athens for the three-day annual conference of the European Association of Judges in early June.
The Judicial Council paid €4,969 for accommodation for a “Train the Trainer” event for judges at the four-star Room Mate Aitana Hotel in Amsterdam last August.
According to their invoice, which includes the price of eight rooms, seven booked for two nights and one for three nights, the average nightly cost is around €290.
A five-star hotel in London was also booked for €2,670 a trip for four judges last October.
Accommodation was provided at the five-star Chelsea Harbor Hotel and the Judiciary Council said the accommodation was chosen by conference organizers in the UK, reports Breaking News.
Other hotels booked for the trip include the famous Fairmont Chateau Laurier in Ottawa, Canada, the luxurious 4-star Hilton Edinburgh Carlton, the boutique Hotel Indigo in The Hague and the InterContinental David in Tel Aviv, Israel.
In total, the Council of the Judiciary spent more than €20,000 on hotel stays over a 12-month period.
Another 14,000 euros was spent on flights, about a third of which was spent on business class travel to Canada for a judge to attend an International Judicial Training Organization conference.
According to an expenditure database published by FOI, around €600 is made up of miscellaneous bills for taxi fares and train tickets.
In total, the Council’s expenditure on foreign travel amounted to €41,150, of which €2,811 was paid when judges were guests or speakers.
When asked about expenses, the Judicial Council said that all foreign travel arrangements were made to assist them in performing their roles and those arrangements were made in the most economical manner.
A statement said: “In the case of flights, all flights are economy unless greater than six hours in duration and/or in exceptional or extenuating circumstances, where different considerations may apply. In the case of hotel accommodation, regard is also had to the recommendations or the advice of the host judicial body, the security of judges, and proximity to the meeting or conference venue, including the availability of accommodation at that venue,” reports Breaking News.
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