The Romanian Senate, as a decision-making chamber, on February 28 passed the daft law that abolishes the controversial Special Section for the Investigation of Judicial Crimes (SIIJ), News.ro reported.

The provisions of the law are, however, challenged by the reformist party USR, which claims that the duties of SIIJ - namely investigating magistrates for alleged corruption deeds - should have been returned to the two specialised bodies DNA and DIICOT instead of being assigned to a special structure of prosecutors.

The draft law was passed in the Senate with 86 votes in favor, 37 votes against, and one abstention.

USR announced that it would refer the bill to the Constitutional Court CCR.

"The project submitted by justice minister Catalin Predoiu is, in fact, re-establishing SIIJ, which is a means used by politicians to control magistrates and a way to undermine the rule of law,"  senator Radu Mihail, the leader of the USR group in the Senate, and USR senator Simona Spataru said.

"The abolition of this Special Section can be done by a law with a single article: 'The Special Section for the Investigation of Crimes in Justice is abolished.' That's what the Venice Commission told us," senator Radu Mihail said.

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andrei@romania-insider.com