In Romania, a battle is under way regarding the essential watchdog organisation that investigates crimes within the justice system. Known as the Special Section for Investigating Crimes in the Judicial System (SIJCO), the organisation is seen by many as an essential defence of the independence of the justice system during an era when Prosecutors have…
Judge Corneliu-Bogdan Ion-Tudoran, who ruled in Romania’s high profileBăneasareal estate development case,has been charged with wrongly convicting a defendant and for abuse of office for his conduct in the case. The Băneasa development involved businessman Gabriel Popoviciu and concerned 221 hectares which was owned by the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine (USAMV), through…
Transparency International (TI) has published their annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). This index ranks countries based on their exposure to corruption in the public sector. Scores range from 0 (most corrupt) to 100 (least corrupt). The CPI 2020 found that Hungary scored 44 in 2020 and ranked 69th overall – placing the country alongside Bulgaria…
We are perhaps one step closer to understanding the conundrum in Romania that the country’s two biggest prosecution offices, the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) and the Section for the Investigation of Justice Criminal Offences (SIJJ), both bring a record number of cases, yet those same cases either fail or end with dubious results. It…
Three inmates lost their lives and two were seriously injured after a fire at the Satu Mare prison in north-western Romania. The fire at Satu Mare prison began when detainees burned their mattresses to protest against the restrictions imposed by the prison authorities amid the Covid-19 outbreak. The deaths and injuries brought renewed attention to…
Romania’s prison conditions are of great concern to the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), as detailed by their report. The conditions discovered by the CPT team fall far below expected European standards for the treatment of prisoners and include attacks by masked intervention…
Marcel Ciolacu, President of the European Social Democratic Party, has complained about changes to the Romanian electoral legislation. The letter was sent to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, as well as to the President of the European Parliament,Davin Maria Sassoli; the President of the Venice Commission, GianniBuquicchio; to the Secretary General of the European Council,…
This month marks the 30th anniversary of the Revolution in Romania, an event that put an end to the communist dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu. The European Parliament has now recognised its significance in Europe’s common history. During a debate in Strasbourg, MEPs shared their views on the topic, ahead of the vote on a resolution…
The spotlight had already been on Romania’s prison conditions due to a report earlier this year by the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), writes Dr Charles Tannock. There was further international scrutiny as commentators wondered how Liviu Dragnea, the leader of country’s Social…
The spotlight had already been on Romania’s prison conditions due to a report earlier this year by the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT). The international scrutiny has continued with the imprisonment of Liviu Dragnea, the leader of country’s Social Democrat party. The imprisonment…
