The Romanian state could 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 decided on Wednesday, December 6.

This applies if the person affected by the judicial error goes to court against the state and manages to get financial compensation, reports local News.ro.

The Chamber of Deputies voted on a series of amendments to the law on the status of judges and prosecutors in a marathon meeting that lasted over 12 hours. The changes to the law were promoted by MPs of the ruling coalition made of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) but strongly opposed by opposition parties.

Several hundred people gathered in front of the Parliament building last evening protesting against the amendments to the justice laws. The final vote on the law was postponed because the parliamentary majority didn’t have enough MPs to approve the law.

The changes to the justice laws, which have been drafted by justice minister Tudorel Toader and discussed and amended by a special parliamentary committee headed by former justice minister Florin Iordache, have raised many controversies. The US State Department has recently issued a statement urging the Parliament not to approve changes to the legislation that may affect magistrate independence and the rule of law in Romania.

editor@romania-insider.com