Romanian Minister Ignores Fury Over Justice Reforms

Romania's Justice Minister Tudorel Toader has vowed to push ahead with the adoption of a controversial justice reform package, despite street protests and sharp criticism from prosecutors, magistrates and Western embassies.

Experts say the changes pose a distinct risk to the independence of the justice system. However, Toader said on Wednesday he will not give up.

"I'm sending it [the package] to the [Higher Magistrates] Council and I'm going to wait until we get that back and then I'm sending it to the cabinet … and then the decision-making procedure begins," he told journalists, referring to the fact that the bill needs to go through parliament.

The Justice Minister, a former prosecutor and law professor, has been under fire for the past week after he last Wednesday presented a justice reform bill to cabinet that contains controversial changes to the way cases, including graft, are prosecuted.

One key change is that the Attorney General and the heads of the National Anti Corruption Directorate, DNA, and the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, DIICOT, would in future be appointed by the Higher Magistrates' Council, CSM, on the proposal of the Justice Minister.

Currently, they are appointed by the CSM on the proposal of the President.

Also, new chief prosecutors will be obliged to oversee and approve every case that their subordinate prosecutors handle.

Another significant change is that the Justice Minister will be in charge of the Judicial Inspection, an internal disciplinary body dealing with magistrates' misconduct.

These three proposals in Toader's bill might place serious limits on the independence of prosecutors, experts on the rule of law warn.

Some proposals in the bill are...