European Commission Reacts To Decree Re-Opening High Profile Cases

The EU institution also says that it included the Constitutional Court decision invoked as a basis for the decree in its latest Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) report.

“The Commission is closely following discussion in Romania regarding a possible emergency decree on outstanding appeals for criminal cases, which follows two Constitutional Court decisions (…) Generally, we remind that, during his recent visit in Bucharest, President Juncker was very clear on the issue of a possible amnesty. As the Commission said multiple times, it is essential for Romania to return to its course of fighting corruption, ensuring an independent judiciary and avoiding any steps back,” Commission spokesperson Margaritis Schinas said on Tuesday.

Romanian Justice Minister Tudorel Toader announced on Sunday evening that the ministry has a draft emergency decree ready which would re-open all cases previously judged by the Supreme Court’s five-judge panels deemed to be illegally selected as per a Constitutional Court decision.

According to the minister, the decree’s draft is finished, and it is up to Prime Minister Viorica Dancila to decide when the act will be issued.

The decree in question would re-open all cases which received final decisions from the Supreme Court’s five-judge panels since 2013, regardless of whether they ended in sentencing or acquittals, as the panels in questions were formed through erroneous procedure according to a November 2018 Constitutional Court ruling.

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