The Romanian Judges Forum, one of the main associations that represent the interests of judges in Romania, has sent a letter to the Parliament and president Klaus Iohannis asking them to consult the Venice Commission on certain aspects related to the justice law changes.

The association pointed out that the debate in the Parliament on the new justice laws has ignored points of view from the majority of magistrates and negative opinions form the Superior Magistracy Council (CSM), local Hotnews.ro reported. The Judges Forum also said that some provisions of the new justice laws need to be clarified and an opinion from the Venice Commission would bring more clarity.

Romania’s General Prosecutor Augustin Lazar also criticized the justice law changes, which may lead to many magistrates leaving the system. If the new laws come into force in their current form, they would lead to over 700 prosecutors and 1,400 judges leaving the system, according to Digi24. The new laws encourage the early retirement of magistrates, granting them the possibility to get a higher pension than the current salary.

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editor@romania-insider.com