Justice minister seeks resignation in corpore of Supreme Council of Magistrates

Minister of Justice Oleg Efrim and the head of the Civil and Administrative Board of the Supreme Court of Justice Nina Cernat criticized the work of the Supreme Council of Magistrates, demanding that the Council resign in corpore, Info-Prim Neo reports. In the annual assembly of judges on February 10, Oleg Efrim said the members of the Supreme Council of Magistrates should have put forward a reform initiative from inside the judicial system. “But they didn’t do it. Most of the times the Council took a defensive position and refused to assume responsibility, rejecting on different pretexts the proposals submitted by others. It only held endless discussions on such problems as the powers of the court presidents, the Council’s right to name persons on an interim basis in courts and the size of salaries of the Supreme Court of Justice judges,” said Oleg Efrim. He accused the Association of Judges of not formulating proposals over the strategy for reforming the justice sector. “None of these institutions initiated reforms or contributed to their implementation. They did not defend the interests of the judges, the professional ethic and principles according to which the judicial system should work,” said Oleg Efrim. Nina Cernat said the work done by the Supreme Council of Magistrates was inefficient, stressing its members were political marionettes. The Council’s chairman Nicolae Timofti replied that some of the colleagues who were loyal to the previous government were in fact marionettes. The assembly involved about 250 judges. It was held at the National Theater “Mihai Eminescu”.