Romania’s magistrates are protesting
Disgruntled by the way their pensions may look like in the future, Romanias judges and prosecutors have ceased work
Ştefan Stoica, 21.06.2023, 14:00
Magistrates with several courts and
prosecutor’s offices in Romania on Wednesday ceased work as the imminent amendments
to the pension legislation could affect the independence of the judiciary.
Under these circumstances, only the
urgent criminal cases such as international kidnapping, placement and
investment, adoptions, public custody, protection orders will be judged. The Superior
Council of the Magistrates (CSM) has announced it has been notified and
unconditionally supports the position expressed by the magistrates, as this
situation of severe gravity is fundamentally bearing on the independence of the
judiciary and the statute of the magistrates with direct consequences upon the
act of justice.
The highest representatives of the legal
system, CSM recalls, had a meeting with the representatives of the executive
and legislative power whom they briefed upon the impact of the legislative
amendments over the justice system, which is already being confronted with an
acute shortage of personnel against the ongoing uncertainty regarding the
statute of the professionals in the field.
On the other hand, the CSM says it
does not stand against the pension reform and is concerned with finding the
best normative solutions aimed at streamlining this process.
The country’s new Justice Minister, Alina
Gorghiu, has reacted to the radical measure the magistrates resorted to, saying
that she respects their right to free speech. She also said that dialogue is
the solution to any problem facing the legal system not the protest.
The principle according to which no
pension can exceed the salary is a moral one and the Romanian society has been
waiting for this pension reform to be implemented, Alina Gorghiu says. The
pension reform, which is only to a small extent based on the contribution made
during the period of activity, and which the magistrates mainly benefit as well
as other professional categories, is a landmark in the country’s Plan of Recovery
and Resilience. Romania’s failure to comply with the provisions of the
aforementioned plan, would be tantamount to losing 3 billion Euros.
The PSD – PNL ruling coalition wants
to gradually increase the retirement age for prosecutors and justices up to 65
years and the pensions to be calculated based on the incomes along the years
not in the last year of activity. The reform in the field would also mean higher
taxes for the pensions above a certain level as well as the elimination of the public
service pensions for a series of auxiliary categories such as the specialized personnel
around the judges and prosecutors, the personnel with specific executive
positions within the diplomatic missions as well as the personnel around the
public Parliament servants.
The number of the beneficiaries of
public service pensions in May this year exceeded 10 thousand, half of them
being magistrates. And in their case, the average pension exceeds 4,000 Euros, the
largest part of which being funded from the state budget.
(bill)
