More than 50 courts in Romania have voted to disband a special section tasked with investigating magistrates established by the former Social Democrat-led government that sparked widespread criticism about assaults on the independence of the justice system.
The investigative agency, the Section for the Investigation of Criminal Offenses in the judiciary, was created among a series of legislative and personnel changes made by the Social Democrats in the judicial system.
Critics saw it as a political tool to intimidate prosecutors.
The European Commission, the U.S. State Department and many Romanian magistrates said it threatened the independence of the judiciary and rule of law in Romania.
The former government was dismissed in a no-confidence vote last month, and a Liberal minority government took office on Nov. 10.
The Liberals have promised to overturn some of the Social Democrat’s most contentious measures in the legal system. But concerns were voiced Thursday that the government isn’t acting fast enough.
Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said he wanted to „erase any doubts” about the government’s intention to change an early parole law which has seen that has seen more than 20,000 detainees set free early. Hundreds have re-offended.
„We will find the best solution to abolish the measures from the parole law which has endangered the lives of Romanian citizens,” Orban said.
Meanwhile, the general prosecutor’s office, the anti-organized crime prosecutors’ agency (DIICOT), the Court of Appeal, and the Bucharest Court were among the 50 courts who voted for the special unit to be disbanded during a two-day meeting that ended Thursday.
Justice Minister Cătălin Predoiu had asked the courts to meet to decide on a number of issues including the special unit. A total of 212 magistrates voted to abolish the special unit, while 12 said it should remain. Following the vote, the Liberals are likely to try and get Parliament to approve the measure.
But the Save Romania Union, a centrist group, criticized the justice ministry for being indecisive, by postponing a decision on whether to disband the unit and for not immediately overturning the parole law.
Prisoners have been released for reasons including their cells are too small or unhygienic. Of the 21,000 released, about 7,000, were people convicted of murder, rape, robbery and pedophilia. Since, then about 500 have re-offended and are back behind bars.
Deputy chairman of the Save Romanian Union Stelian Ion said the Liberal government had failed “to use all the instruments it has available to fix the problems created by the Social Democrats in the area of justice.”
“We know that there is no stable majority in the current parliament which means there can’t be real reforms,” Ion said.
