USR to challenge the laws of justice to the Constitutional Court. PNL wants the Venice Commission notified

By the end of the week, the Save Romania Union (USR) will file several challenges to the Constitutional Court, on the amendments brought to the laws of justice.

“USR has prepared well documented notifications in order to challenge to the Constitutional Court the three draft bills to amend the laws of justice. The High Court for Cassation and Justice (ICCJ – Supreme Court, our note) and PNL have already challenged to the Constitutional Court the three draft bills to amend Laws 303, 304 and 317, nevertheless, the USR legal advisers have found new reasons of unconstitutionality and the new challenges represent one more chance to block the attack carried out by the PSD-ALDE-UDMR coalition against the justice system’s independence. The notifications have been signed by all USR and PMP MPs and only a few more signatures are needed to file them to the CCR by the end of the week,” USR informs in a release on Tuesday.

According to USR Chairman, Dan Barna (photo), the PSD-ALDE-UDMR coalition ‘has butchered’ almost every article regarding the laws of justice in the special parliamentary committee. In the draft bill to amend Law 303, the USR advisers have found no less than 35 unconstitutional amendments. Barna added that the USR notifications include opinions filed by the magistrates associations.

“In these challenges, USR reveals that the three draft bills on the laws of justice have been adopted by violating the bicameralism principle and the principle of observing the law, as well as by violating the order to notify the parliament chambers. Furthermore, the USR legal advisers claim that the draft bills violate the obligations resulting from the accession of Romania to the constituent treaties of the European Union. USR publicly calls on PNL and on all independent MPs to sign the notifications regarding the amendments brought to the laws of justice and to support this approach to defend the magistrates’ independence and the rule of law in Romania. There are no arguments for the opposition lawmakers not to join this vital approach for Romania,” the release reads.

Request to notify the Venice Commission, filed by Liberals

The Liberals have sent a letter on Tuesday to the Chairman of the Romanian Constitutional Court (CCR), Valer Dorneanu, asking for the Venice Commission to be notified regarding the Laws of Justice, a press release informs.

“We believe that now (…) the full observance of the principle of separation and balance of powers in the state is needed in order to fully achieve the role conferred to the Honourable Court by the Romanian Constitution and by the law, as well as for the consolidation of the Romanian democracy, it is necessary to get a point of view from the Venice Commission, which will constitute an element of support for the Constitutional Court’s jurisdiction,” the letter reads.