Romanian Senate Validates 8 Magistrates Council Members

The decision was made with 64 votes in favor, 48 against and two abstentions.

The eight High Council of Magistrates members are judges Mircea Aron, Alexandru Serban, Nicolae Horatiu Dumbrava, Adrian Toni Neacsu, Marius Tudose Badea, Cristi Vasilics Danilet and prosecutors George Balan and Oana Andreea Smith Haineala.

The Senate has yet to validate representatives of the civil society.

The Constitutional Court on January 25 upheld complaints by democrat liberal senators and ruled the validation of 11 members of the High Council of Magistrates illegal.

The Senate on December 22, 2010 validated the list of 11 members elected in the High Council of Magistrates with 64 votes in favor and 60 against. Democrat liberals said during debates they oppose to the validation of the list, arguing that judges Lidia Barbulescu and Dan Lupascu, as well as prosecutor Dan Chiujdea – who had also been elected CSM members in 2004 – cannot be reelected.

Law 317/2004 regulating the High Council of Magistrates, which was amended in 2005, states that CSM members are elected to a six-year term and cannot be reelected