Belgian federal justice minister Koen Geens | Virginie Lefour/AFP via Getty Images Belgian justice minister ‘astonished’ by judges’ comments that Belgium risks becoming ‘a rogue state’ Judges complained about budget cuts and justice reforms.

Belgian federal justice minister Koen Geens on Monday slammed comments from senior judges Jean de Codt and Luc Hennart, who said the government’s budget cuts undermined Belgium's rule of law.

De Codt, president of the Belgian Supreme Court, told broadcaster RTBF on Sunday that “the federal government’s budget cuts would encourage non-compliance with the law and puts Belgium at risk of becoming a rogue state.”

“Does a country that cuts its most important job, to judge, deserve respect? That country is no longer [governed under] a rule of law but it is a rogue state,” de Codt said.

Luc Hennart, the president of the Court of First Instance in Brussels, also attacked Geens’ policy, telling RTL that he would rank the reforms “zero out of ten points.”

Geens said he was "astonished" by the judges’ comments and surprised by their “false information.” He added that he is confident that the judges “will keep their objectivity, neutrality and serenity.”

He added: “The ongoing complaints about the lack of personnel at the French-speaking Court of First Instance in Brussels are contradicted by the fact that the number of judges has increased by 30 percent since 2014.”

Justice reforms in Belgium, announced in April, led to a series of complaints. Prison guards have been on strike for three weeks and demand more staff and better conditions.