MPs vote for shutting down the Section Investigating Crime in Justice

The Chamber of Deputies has voted for the elimination of a controversial institution of the Romanian justice system

Eugen Coroianu, 25.03.2021, 14:00

The Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest
on Wednesday adopted the bill for the elimination of the Section Investigating
Crime in Justice, a promise of the center-right ruling coalition. Dubbed the
Special Section, the institution was created by the Social Democrats and
sparked widespread controversy in Romanian society, being equally criticized by
the relevant European institutions. The new body had become operational in
November 2018, being charged with the criminal prosecution of judges and
prosecutors and any other people involved in their investigations. Fears arose
that the Section could be used to influence investigations into top-level graft
targeting politicians.

The creation of the Section Investigating Crime in
Justice was a big mistake. It’s a disgrace for the Romanian justice system, as
we look back and analyze the activity of this section, Justice Minister
Stelian Ion said on Wednesday. The Romanian official said that, beyond a few
investigations targeting brave magistrates, the institution had no special
achievements. On the contrary, 6,000 cases are still pending and effectively
blocked, the Minister said. Stelian Ion pointed out that corruption
investigations and those linked to organized crime and terrorism should be
handled by specialized prosecutors. The elimination of the Special Section
however didn’t occur in the form presented by the Government, but with one
additional amendment, providing that judges and prosecutors should be searched,
detained and put an pre-trial arrest at home only with the approval of the Superior
Council of Magistracy. The result reflects a compromise at the level of the
ruling coalition, but some politicians hope the Senate, which is the
decision-making body in this matter, will make some adjustments to the bill.
The amendment concerning the Council’s approval will allegedly be used by the
Social Democrats to challenge the law at the Constitutional Court.

The
Social-Democratic Party and the Alliance for the Union of Romanians in
opposition have opposed the elimination of the Section, voting against it in
the Chamber of Deputies. Social MP Simona Teodoroiu claims over a thousand
magistrates have signed and submitted a memorandum to the Chamber of Deputies, calling
for rejecting the bill and notifying the international relevant authorities.
Chamber of Deputies Speaker Liberal Ludovic Orban says he hasn’t received the
memo yet. AUR representatives called for keeping and reforming the section. The
bill passed with 171 votes in favor, 136 against and 2 abstentions. The
elimination of the Special Section also falls in line with the recommendation
issued by the European Commission in its report on Romania, as a prerequisite
for lifting the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. (V.P.)