Justice Minister Radu Marinescu on Friday said that any form of persecution against a person for reporting matters which, in their view, represent dysfunctions or abuses within the system in which they work is unacceptable, adding that he will act, in accordance with the law, to clarify the accusations made in the Recorder documentary.
‘In light of the public developments regarding the Recorder documentary and the recent letter from a significant number of magistrates expressing solidarity with their colleagues who participated in the documentary, as minister of Justice and an ex officio member of the Superior Council of Magistracy I make the following remarks: any form of persecution of a person for reporting matters which, in their view, represent dysfunctions or abuses within the system in which they work is unacceptable. Such reports must be verified and clarified, not suppressed. I support the need to clarify all aspects raised in the documentary by the magistrates, which may be factually confirmed or disproved,’ Radu Marinescu wrote on his Facebook page.
He stressed that, as minister and member of the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM), he will act ‘in compliance with the law and the independence of the judiciary’ to clarify the accusations made in the documentary.
‘The diversity of opinions and beliefs regarding professional, managerial and personnel policies, criteria for promotion, selection, professional training, the legislative framework regulating status and organisation etc. exists and is natural within the judiciary, especially given that it includes an elective component in the designation of the Superior Council of Magistracy and a competitive component in filling leadership positions. These situations have given rise and continue to give rise to differences of opinion and controversy, the formation of majorities and minorities of opinion, but under no circumstances should they lead to retaliatory, punitive or oppressive approaches towards those who think differently,’ the minister said.
Radu Marinescu points out that since taking over the Justice portfolio he has not received any report from a magistrate indicating that persecutions of the kind mentioned in the open letter exist, and any magistrate who invokes such situations may report them not only publicly but also to the bodies authorised to take action and to the Ministry of Justice as long as the minister is a member of the Superior Council of Magistracy.
He also says that since taking office at the Ministry of Justice he has not received any report from a magistrate regarding irregularities in the activity of the Superior Council of Magistracy, the elections for this body or the organisation of competitions or selection procedures for leadership positions.
He brings to mind that the justice laws were adopted in 2022 by Parliament, received positive evaluations at European level which led to the lifting of the Co-operation and Verification Mechanism, and were assessed positively each year in the rule of law report. They were also included in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan as a fundable milestone.
‘At the formation of the governing coalition all parties discussed modernising this regulatory framework and there was a political agreement on the measures to be taken, set out in the governing programme. The Ministry of Justice acts in accordance with this programme and manages the National Recovery and Resilience Plan milestone which will allow access to European funds. Any law may be amended in line with the evolution of society on the basis of a political agreement grounded in complete, real and objective information within the limits of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and the conclusions of the rule of law reports,’ the minister of Justice added. AGERPRES
