Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on May 10 challenged the controversial amendments to the Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code as well as the Law 78/2000 on the prevention, detection and sanctioning of corruption at the Constitutional Court, Hotnews.ro reported.

The three bills were amended under quick procedures in the parliamentary committee headed by former justice minister Florin Iordache and passed by lawmakers without much debate.

The amendments to the Criminal Codes returned to Parliament after the senior ruling party, the Social Democratic Party (PSD), failed to persuade former justice minister Tudorel Toader to pass them through Government emergency ordinances. This was reportedly one of the reasons for Tudorel Toader's dismissal.

The opposition accused that all the changes were made to keep PSD leader Liviu Dragnea out of prison. These laws were sent to the president for promulgation on May 2.

In his objections submitted to the Constitutional Court, president Iohannis argues that the Constitution, as well as the principle of bicameralism, were violated by the Parliament's amendments. To support his allegations, the president argued that the Parliament ignored the constitutional obligation to reconcile the texts of the Criminal Code with earlier decisions of the Constitutional Court and did not make the necessary corrections.

editor@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Presidency.ro)