Romanian MPs adopt laws on magistrates’ status, integrity status

Romania’s Chamber of Deputies adopted on Monday the amendments to the law on judges’ and prosecutors’ status in a final ad-hoc voting session. The bill provides that the Romanian state will be obliged to start legal actions against magistrates who cause damages to the state due to faulty judgements issued in bad faith or due to serious negligence. The Chamber of Deputies approved a series of amendments to the magistrates’ status law on Wednesday last week, during a 12-hour marathon meeting, but postponed the final vote on the bill due to lack of quorum. The MPs also approved yesterday an amendment to the law on the National Integrity Agency (ANI). This provides that the prohibitions imposed on senators and deputies, found in conflict of interests during 2007 - 2013 by ANI, will simply cease. The amendments to the justice laws have been drafted by a special committee led by former justice minister Florin Iordache, the same politician who wanted to change the Criminal Code by Emergency Ordinance at the end of January. The proposed changes to the justice laws, which may negatively affect justice independence in Romania, have determined big street protests in recent weeks. Council of Europe anti-corruption body evaluates new justice legislation in Romania and Poland editor@romania-insider.com