Romania: On the date of August 21, 2025, the sections of the Superior Council of Magistracy decided to convene the general meetings of judges and prosecutors for the period of August 26-27, 2025.

PRESS RELEASE

regarding the convening of general meetings of judges and prosecutors in the context of sending the draft normative act on the amendment of the statute of magistrates Considering the escalation of hostile public attitudes towards judges and prosecutors, achieved, in particular, through:

• the repeated positions taken by representatives of the parties that make up the governing coalition, which, in an unjustifiable manner, seek to blame the judicial system for the economic and budgetary difficulties facing Romanian society today and to distract attention from the true causes of these issues,

• the intensification of the campaign that various media institutions are conducting against the judicial system to support the rhetoric promoted by political actors aimed at destabilizing the justice system,

• the aggressive promotion, from the same political factor and the supporting mass media, of the idea that the Prime Minister of Romania’s intention to change the pension regime of judges and prosecutors actually aims to end some privileges of magistrates,

• the disregard for the arguments of representatives of the judicial system and the constant questioning of the status of judges and prosecutors, in the atmosphere of public hatred generated by the irresponsible actions of the political factor, thus creating a major risk of demoralizing sitting judges and prosecutors and severely affecting the attractiveness of the judiciary among young people, with devastating effects on the stability of human resources and professionalism in the judicial system,

– the contempt that some exponents of the political factor or in the media constantly show towards magistrates, given that the efforts of judges and prosecutors who exercise their duties with honesty and professionalism, managing a huge volume of activity, at a level of quality and efficiency higher than the average recorded in the European Union states, are well known,
Noting the major risk that all the actions mentioned above would induce the idea that the judicial system is only an instrument at the discretion of the political factor, which, despite any value of the rule of law, could impose on justice everything it wants, a situation in which its independence and the democratic course of Romanian society would become mere illusions,

Given the necessity for any normative or other type of intervention regarding judges and prosecutors to be preceded by a real dialogue with the judicial system, which would strengthen the premises for guaranteeing the independence of justice, including through a transparent justification of the measures and by ensuring their proportionality with the specifics, complexity, and inherent risks of judicial activity, as well as with the incompatibilities and prohibitions imposed on magistrates,

Considering that the legislative approach concerning the service pensions in the judiciary significantly affects the independence of the judiciary, violating the binding decisions of the Constitutional Court and the Court of Justice of the European Union, as well as international reference documents, and with no justification for this approach given that the reform of the service pension system was carried out through Law no. 282/2023, and the proposals presented by the initiator are not the result of any dialogue with representatives of the judiciary, but rather express an inadmissible attitude that embodies an inflexible position of power and authority of the executive branch in relation to the judiciary, which is unacceptable in a democratic society and characteristic of autocratic societies.

Noting that this attitude exhibited by the executive power in response to the attempts of representatives of the judicial authority to engage in dialogue regarding legislative proposals concerning the status of judges and prosecutors is contrary to the constitutional principle of the separation and balance of powers, as well as the principle of loyal cooperation and mutual respect between public authorities,

Taking into account the risks posed by the actions of the other branches of government that affect the independence of the judiciary and seriously destabilize the judicial system, with respect to the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens and the democratic path of Romanian society,

Considering that on August 20, 2025, the Ministry of Labor, Family, Youth, and Social Solidarity sent to the Superior Council of Magistracy a draft law for amending and completing certain normative acts in the field of service pensions for the purpose of communicating a point of view, on August 21, 2025, the sections of the Superior Council of Magistracy decided to convene general assemblies of judges and prosecutors for the period of August 26-27, 2025, in order to express a point of view regarding the draft normative act concerning the amendment of service pensions and the necessary measures to protect the status of magistrates and the independence of the judiciary.

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