PSD's Iordache: Justice not disrupted, nor Justice independence

The amendments adopted on Thursday in the committee on the justice laws package do not destabilise in any way the judicial system nor do they affect the independence of Justice, Head of committee, Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Florin Iordache of the Social Democratic Party (ruling PSD) maintained Thursday after the opposition criticised the decision regarding the setting up of the Directorate for the Investigation of Criminal Offenses of Judges and Prosecutors "thus taking over from the DNA's [the National Anti-corruption Directorate - ed.n.] attributions. 

"We certainly do not destabilize Justice through these laws, nor Justice's independence. All those paragraphs which aim at the involvement of the political or the Justice Minister's involvement in any way - be it appointment, or dismissal, etc., have undoubtedly been eliminated. What we would like, upon the proposal of the professional associations is the establishment of this specialised directorate, a department subordinated to the prosecutor general and the chief prosecutor of this directorate to be appointed by the CSM [Superior Council of Magistracy - ed.n.], at the proposal of the prosecutors' directorate. So there is no political meddling whatsoever," Iordache said at the end of the committee's meeting. 

He added that all professional associations who lodged amendments expressed their viewpoints during the debates, among these being the Romanian Magistrates' Association (AMR) and the National Union of Romanian Judges (UNJR). 

The National Liberal Party (PNL, opposition) and Save Romania Union (USR, opposition) representatives from the special parliamentary committee for the amendment of the justice laws package criticised Thursday the pursuing of "the justice system disruption", exemplifying through concrete arguments the adoption on Thursday of an amendment setting up the Directorate for the Investigation of Criminal Offenses of Judges and Prosecutors within the General Prosecutor's Office, thus taking over from DNA's attributions. 

The special parliamentary committee decided on Thursday the setting up of the Directorate for the Investigation of Criminal Offenses of Judges and Prosecutors within the General Prosecutor's Office. 

"A Directorate for the Investigation of Criminal Offenses of Judges and Prosecutors is being set up and rendered operational within the Prosecutor's Office with the High Court of Cassation and Justice, whose exclusive competency is to carry out the criminal investigation for corruption and similar offenses, provided for in the Criminal Code and by Law 78/2000, the work-related crimes and other similar offenses as well as crimes against justice being served by judges and prosecutors, including those who are members of the Superior Council of Magistracy and also military prosecutors and judges," is the amendment voted for by the committee's members at the amendment draft of law 304/2004 regarding the judicial organisation.

AGERPRES.