CCR: Assumptive change of Petre Lazaroiu's status could have no consequences but for the future

An assumptive change of the status of the constitutional justice Petre Lazaroiu, which seems improbable, could have no consequences but for the future and would not affect the already made decisions, the President of the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) Valer Dorneanu said on Tuesday night. 

"He was appointed for a 9-year period, which ends in 2019. Previously, Mr. Petre Lazaroiu had been a constitutional justice from 16.09.2008 to 8.06.2010, a piece of mandate of late former justice Petre Ninosu. The provisions of Art. 68 par. (3) say that in case the period for which a judge was appointed is smaller than 3 years (as it is this case), the said justice can be appointed at the renewal of the CCR, for a complete 9-year mandate. This text is in force and is enjoying the presumption of constitutionality. An assumptive, yet not realistic change in his status could have no consequences but for the future and would not affect the already made decisions," Valer Dorneanu said, according to a CCR release sent to AGERPRES. 

CCR's Dorneanu deems inappropriate to call upon the CCR ruling No. 136 of 20 March 2018 with the aim of invalidating the mandate of Petre Lazaroiu, since it is about a non-promulgated law, declared unconstitutional and under re-examination procedure, that is referring to other circumstances. 

Valer Dorneanu added that according to the Constitution, the CCR rulings are generally mandatory from their being published in the Official Journal of Romania and are in force for the future only. 

He also rejected certain statements regarding his incompatibility as CCR head, given that his son-in-law is labelled as <> with the Internal Affairs Ministry (MAI). 

"My daughter has been married for 25 years, and neither I, nor her had previous knowledge that her husband is a MAI general, we were sure he was a printing engineer. Esteemed <>, neither I, nor my daughter know Mr. General. Moreover, the neither the high public servant with the Chamber of Deputies (also declared as a son-in-law of mine) holds this quality, being, in his turn, married for many years," Valer Dorneanu concluded.