Update: Bucharest Court judges suspend activity until March 7. Protests against GEO 7 extend to half the country

The Bucharest Court magistrates decided on Wednesday, during the general assembly, to postpone until March 7 the files waiting for the panels, except for the urgent ones. The judges have agreed on a statement regarding legal decisions to immediately suspend the enforcement of the amendments to the laws of justice and the emergency ordinances criticized by the European Commission, the Venice Commission and GRECO, following actual consultations with the judiciary.

The statement will be posted on the doors of assembly halls and on the court’s website, the Bucharest Court informs.

The Bucharest Court magistrates urge the Justice Minister to present an assumed and detailed answer, by June 1, 2019 and to repeal Emergency ordinance 7/2019, except for the provision regarding access and promotion in the profession.

According to digi24.ro, the magistrates’ protests are extending day by day. The protests started last week and now has reached courts and prosecutor’s offices in half the country. All of them have been triggered by GEO 7 on the laws of justice.

Six days ago, the Prosecutor’s Office upon the Constanta Court was the first institution to suspend activity. Since then the number of courts and prosecutor’s offices in protest has increased to 80.

The High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ – Supreme Court) Chairwoman Cristina Tarcea and the two deputy chairpersons Gabriela Bogasin and Ilie Iulian Dragomir signed on Wednesday the letter-manifesto whereby dozens of the ICCJ magistrates ask for the repeal of the emergency ordinance which has amended the laws of justice. The manifesto initiated on Tuesday by the Supreme Court magistrates has been signed until now by 54 judges with the ICCJ, hotnews.ro informs.

The general assembly of each court or prosecutor’s office decides on the protests, each institution having its own way of staging protests. DIICOT has decided to solve only emergencies until March 8. Other magistrates have decided to suspend the activity with the public or the judicial one. The Prosecutor General’s Office employees have decided to wear white armlets until the issue of the emergency ordinance is solved. On Friday, at 12.00h, the magistrates with several courts and prosecutor’s offices will come in front of their offices to inform about their demands.

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