Dana Gîrbovan, proposed as Justice minister, resigns from magistracy

Judge Dana Gîrbovan, proposed as Justice minister, to replace Ana Birchall, has announced on social media on Monday that she is quitting magistracy.

“Today, August 26, 9:00a.m. I filed my resignation to the Section for magistrates of the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM).

Throughout my career as a judge I said what I believed and I believed what I said, even if it did not please a certain majority at that time. Once I have accepted as a matter of principle the proposal to run the Justice Ministry, I found natural to resign from magistracy, so that the effective appointment procedure can be initiated”, Dana Gîrbovan posted on Facebook.

PM Viorica Dăncilăis expected to sent the dismissal proposal to President Klaus Iohannis today. The prime minister has announced on Friday after the PSD Executive Committee the new ministers nominations: Dana Gârbovan for the Justice Ministry, Mihai Fifor as Interior minister and Şerban Constantin Valeca for Education. Iulian Iancu was nominated as deputy PM for economic affairs and Ana Birchall, deputy PM on strategic partnerships.

Dana Gîrbovan is a judge at the Court of Appeal in Cluj and head of the National Union of the Judges in Romania (UNJR).

She is highly contested by the Opposition and by the civil society for taking repeated stands in favor of the ruling coalition and in support of the past attempts to amend the justice laws and criminal codes.

Former CSM member Toni Neacsu opines that President Iohannis could not reject the proposal to name Gîrbovan as Justice minister on illegality grounds, but rather on political reasons.

Dana Girbovan also slammed the protocols between the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) and the Prosecutor’s general Office, claiming they breach the constitutional norms.