Declic Community contests appointment of controversial judge as president of Romania’s High Court

Social and political activists within the Declic Community have contested the appointment of controversial judge Lia Savonea as president of the High Court in Romania with the Superior Council of Magistracy, or CSM.

The motion to contest Savonea’s appointment is based on several irregularities in the appointment process. The legal action is supported by a petition signed by 70,000 citizens and is fully funded by donations from Declic members.

“We are contesting the appointment of Lia Savonea not to block a career, but because the law must be respected, especially when the appointment concerns the leadership of the highest court in the country. Judicial independence does not mean only that judges are free to decide without pressure; it also means that citizens can see that justice functions impartially,” said Roxana Pencea Brădăţan, Declic campaign coordinator, cited in the press release.

According to Declic, which gained prominence after a series of protests against the government's plans to infringe on judicial independence in 2017-2018, acts adopted by CSM are in flagrant violation of the deadlines and procedural safeguards provided by law.

According to Declic, CSM launched the procedure just a few hours after the announcement of the presidential election results, on May 18, “in violation of Article 136 of Law 303/2022.” The law states that the procedure can begin at most 60 days before the expiration of the mandate, but former president Corina Corbu’s mandate was set to expire only on September 16, 2025.

Furthermore, Declic cites a problematic track record, considering that from 2016 to the present, Lia Savonea has been consistently portrayed in the media as a “controversial judge” due to numerous scandals. Moreover, the European Commission expressed “major concern” in 2019 regarding developments in the Romanian judiciary during the period when Lia Savonea chaired the CSM. This stemmed from the fact that the Council failed to enforce a system of checks and balances. At that time, 710 prosecutors and judges distanced themselves from the positions taken by the CSM.

“The appointment of the leadership of the High Court of Cassation and Justice must be the result of a transparent, fair, and predictable procedure, not of rushed and non-transparent decisions that endanger judicial independence,” said lawyer Roxana Mândruţiu.

Declic’s legal action is backed by the petition