An open conflict burst in the Romanian judicial system after the Justice ministry announced that it will not take responsibility for the report on the justice system in 2010 released on Wednesday by the Superior Council of Magistracy. The position of the ministry was announced on Thursday, several hours after the Council’s President Horatius Dumbrava presented the report. After the announcement, Dumbrava said that the Justice minister would not have made such a mistake to sign the press release of the ministry especially that the minister himself is a member of the Council.

Some of the most important conclusions in the report

  • Budgets allocated from the Justice ministry, directed to courts make up 50% of the total and the rest goes to other institutions  subordinated to the ministry
  • In 2010 there was the smallest material resources allocation for spending meant to ensure a well functioning of the courts  

  • The only efficient way to protect judicial power is to include a fixed minimum budget from the GDP  
  • There were 85.55% civil causes and only 14.4% penal causes 
  • Most files are finished in less than 6 months  

  • In 2010, the public’s trust in the judicial system remained low and the image was negatively affected by some deficiencies in its functioning and by statements made by state representatives  

Several hours after the report was presented, the Justice ministry released a press release, signed by the ministry’s communications department reading that the ministry will present its stand on the report after a thorough analysis. The press release reads that the report should have been preceded by a serious debate.