RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

The Section for the Investigation of the magistrates is being dismantled

Romania gets rid of a structure believed to be aimed at intimidating its magistrates

The Section for the Investigation of the magistrates is being dismantled
The Section for the Investigation of the magistrates is being dismantled

, 15.02.2022, 14:00

The story of one of the most controversial
structures in the Romanian judiciary is coming to an end these days. The
government in Bucharest on Monday endorsed a draft law on dismantling the
special Section for the Investigation of the Judiciary, known in Romania as
SIIJ. The head of the coalition government, Liberal Nicolae Ciucă, has recalled
that this is an objective Romania has also assumed within the Cooperation and
Verification Mechanism (CVM) through which Brussels has been monitoring the
rule of law in Romania ever since the country’s entry into the European Union
in 2007.




Under the new amendments, other structures
have been authorized to take over the SIIJ files and their resolutions are to
be made public within 60 days since the law has come into effect, by the
Prosecutor’s Office with the High Court of Cassation and Justice and the other
the competent offices, which are carrying on work on the aforementioned files.




High-ranking prosecutors and justices
accused of various offences are to be investigated by the Prosecutor’s Office
with the High Court of Cassation and Justice whereas the other prosecutors and
judges by prosecutor’s offices of other courts.


The jobs in the organizational chart of
the SIIJ will remain in the organizational chart of the Prosecutor’s Office
with the High Court of Cassation and Justice, part of the Penal and Crime Investigation
Department. Starting with the date of the SIIJ dismantling, its prosecutors,
including those in higher positions, will be returning to the prosecutor’s
offices they belonged to. The aforementioned draft will be submitted for
Parliament debates and approval.


The largest part of the press in
Bucharest, as well as legal experts, have constantly denounced the SIIJ as a
means of putting pressure on the magistrates and hindering Romania’s anti-graft
actions.




The initiator of this project was believed
to be the former Social Democratic strongman Liviu Dragnea who had dominated
Romania’s political life for a couple of years before being arrested on corruption
charges in 2019.


The present head of European Public
Prosecutor’s Office, EPPO, Laura Codruta Kovesi, who had previously headed
Romania’s Anti-Corruption Directorate with unmatched effectiveness, confessed
shortly before her dismissal by president Klaus Iohannis in June 2018,
following a Constitutional Court ruling, that in those years, the biggest
challenge for the Romanian judiciary was keeping its judges and prosecutors
independent.




There have been repeated tries at
amending the anti-corruption legislation in order to limit the legislative
instruments used by anti-corruption prosecutors or attempts at decriminalizing
some actions. There were situations in which requests for lifting the immunity
of corrupt politicians had been turned down, Kovesi went on to say.


(bill)

fake news (Credits Pixabay)
Today in the News Friday, 23 May 2025

Wave of fake news in Romania

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest warns that a new wave of fake news is fueling a concerted campaign of disinformation and interference,...

Wave of fake news in Romania
Photo: fb.com / Timișoara City Hall
Today in the News Friday, 23 May 2025

Roberta Metsola receives award in Timisoara

The President of the European Parliament, the Maltese Roberta Metsola, received the Timişoara Prize for European Values ​​on Thursday, the...

Roberta Metsola receives award in Timisoara
Ilie Bolojan (Foto: presidency.ro)
Today in the News Thursday, 22 May 2025

Romania’s interim president presents activity report

Romania’s interim president, Ilie Bolojan, presented an activity report for his 100 days in office. He said that his main concern as head of state...

Romania’s interim president presents activity report
Source: facebook.com/CCIBucuresti)
Today in the News Thursday, 22 May 2025

Bucharest, the pillar of the Romanian economy

Bucharest continues to be the pillar of the Romanian economy. More than half of foreign direct investments attracted by Romania since 1990 were in...

Bucharest, the pillar of the Romanian economy
Today in the News Wednesday, 21 May 2025

The Leu, leveling out

The Governor of the National Bank of Romania, Mugur Isărescu, presented the quarterly inflation report on Tuesday. It was his first public...

The Leu, leveling out
Today in the News Wednesday, 21 May 2025

The Romania-US partnership

  For two decades, all presidents and all governments in Bucharest, regardless of their political leanings, have been saying that the...

The Romania-US partnership
Today in the News Tuesday, 20 May 2025

Illegal drones can be shot down

  At the end of his term, the interim president of Romania Ilie Bolojan Monday signed into law 2 bills that the initiators and experts say are...

Illegal drones can be shot down
Today in the News Tuesday, 20 May 2025

Romania and the knowledge-based society

Every minister who has temporarily held the position of education minister in the last 30 years or so has wanted to leave a mark on this essential...

Romania and the knowledge-based society

Partners

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Affiliates

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Providers

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company