Senate Chairman Tariceanu: Judge, prosecutor career paths must stay separate

Senate Chairman Calin Popescu-Tariceanu considers that judges and prosecutors should have separate careers, on the ground that a prosecutor turned judge will never be able to completely change his approach. 

"What we have established during the debate on the justice package last year, specifically the separation of careers, must stay in place. It doesn't seem appropriate to me to reconsider this subject, and let me tell you why. I am almost sure that a prosecutor with a considerable experience who turns judge will not be able, for natural reasons, to completely change his approach. The prosecutor and the judge have completely different roles in the justice system. For this reason I don't think it is appropriate to mix these careers. We must respect what has been done last year and stay consistent," Tariceanu said on Wednesday in Parliament. 

He specified that "prosecutors must have a certain independence in their activity." 

"The talk is mainly about the independence of judges. According to the Constitution, the prosecutors work under the authority of the minister, but of course the minister is not allowed to intervene in the cases they build. This too should stay exactly like that," Tariceanu said. 

On the other hand, the top Senator defends Ordinance No. 7/2019 on the laws of justice, arguing that it regulates aspects regarding the nomination and, in the end, the appointment of the prosecutors who will work at the European Public Prosecutor's Office, and that apart from the provision that sparked controversy, it incorporates highly necessary regulations. 

Tariceanu also said that he hasn't changed his opinion about Justice Minister Tudorel Toader, who is the subject of a simple motion tabled by the Opposition in the Chamber of Deputies. 

"It isn't my job to assess the ministers, as you know, this is the role of the Prime Minister. The Opposition must use all the weapons at their disposal and are free to do so. I haven't changed my opinion on the JusMin," Tariceanu concluded.