Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu said on Friday that the Section for the Investigation of Judicial Crimes (SIIJ) will be abolished by the end of March, and no similar prosecution structure of some "SIIJ reloaded" sort will take its place.
Speaking at the Ministry of Justice, Predoiu said that bill on the dissolution of the Special Section will be presented to the government in February and then sent to Parliament for vote, probably in the first half of March, but only provided that it gets the nod of the Supreme Council of Magistrates.
The governing program of the National Liberal Party - Social Democratic Party - Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania coalition provides for the adoption until March 31, 2022 of a regulatory act to end the activity of the Section for the Investigation of Judicial Crimes, which will be be replaced by a new structure that offers "guarantees for the magistrates' independence".
"By March 31, 2022 we will adopt a regulatory act providing for the cessation of SIIJ's activity and the establishment of an institution/agency that offers guarantees for the magistrates' independence and also sets in place efficient mechanisms for a real and effective accountability of the judges and prosecutors, while keeping proceedings impartial and legal, in accordance with the CJEU decision of May 18, 2021, the Venice Commission's opinion of July 2021 and the opinion of the Supreme Council of Magistrates," states the governing program.