Romania’s Constitutional Court (CCR) has delayed for May 28 to pronounce a ruling on the complaints filed by the PNL and USR opposition parties against amendments on the criminal code and criminal procedure code, recently adopted by the Parliament in Bucharest.
The constitutional judges argued that president Klaus Iohannis’ referral on the criminal code amendments has been also set for May 28.
Therefore, the constitutional challenges filed by the head of state and by the Opposition will be related and debated by the CCR after six days.
PNL and USR have filed complaints to CCR on April 25, saying that over 300 „harmful” amendments have been operated on the criminal codes, which violate the rule of law, the Constitution and the recommendations of the European bodies in this area.
USR considers that in the case of the criminal code’s amendments, they have been adopted by breaking article 69 of the Chamber Regulation, which is also impacting on article 1, paragraphs 3 and 5 and article 69 of the Romanian Constitution.
The opposition also argued that the principle of bicameralism has been violated by adopting amendments to the criminal procedure code, as the Chamber of Deputies has cut more than half of the amendments adopted by the Senate.
“Despite the ruling coalition’s statements, these articles do not transpose the CCR rulings, but only the political will of the PSD-ALDE coalition, whose main and sole concern has been, for two years and a half, to dismantle the judiciary system and to bleach the criminal files of the corrupt, so that criminals can still steal in peace, without answering for their actions and to keep the stolen money”, said USR.
“Criminals are directly favoured, through a legal text”, said in her turn PNL deputy Raluca Turcan at the time amendments were adopted. She added that “Liviu Dragnea, twice irrevocably convicted, has coordinated the vote of his party fellows”.