| More concretely, justice was depicted as corrupt by reference to the more
everyday and anonymous reality: the backlog in the administration of justice, the dilapidated
buildings, the faulty infrastructure, and, in particular, the political appointments that gave
rise to the impression on the part of the public that magistrates could no longer judge objectively
and impartially.
With the formation of the High Council of Justice, the intention of the Parliament was to restore
the confidence of the people in the operation of the Belgian judicial system.
 In the past, there were repeated proposals
to set up such an organ but the leaders of the country did not see a need for it at the time.
Elsewhere in Europe and also outside of Europe, comparable institutions have long been in existence:
Italy has had a High Council for the Magistracy since 1947. The same institution has also existed
in France since 1958 and is headed by the President of the Republic. Spain, since 1977, has had a
"General Council of the Judicial Branch", and Canada, too, has a Judicial Council as do several other
countries. The powers of these authorities do differ, but all, to a greater or lesser degree,
restrict the influence of the executive branch over the judicial branch.
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