Romania's Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) said on Thursday that the European Commission's report on the rule of law in Romania highlights that the public perception of the independence of the judiciary increased by 15% from 2020.
The European Commission published on Thursday its fifth Rule of Law Report, which includes assessments of Romania's progress in the field of justice, as well as recommendations for its continuation.
CSM says in a press statement that it is the "best" report on the justice chapter in the sequence of evaluations carried out by the European Commission.
"A first aspect highlighted in the report, and which should be emphasised, is that the overall public perception of the independence of the judiciary increased by 15% from 2020 and is increasing compared from 2023, thus making a constant progress in the social perception of the independence of magistrates," says CSM.
It adds that the progress made by Romania in the field of the justice laws that entered into force in December 2022 and the process of their implementation was highlighted, stressing that the implementation of the recommendations improved the assurance of the guarantees provided by the legislation, including through the adoption of the implementing regulations by CSM.
Regarding the provision of the necessary human resources, CSM says that it is steadfast in its commitment to reducing the shortage of magistrates, with two new competitions for admission to the magistracy and the National Institute of Magistracy being launched in this regard on July 24, 2024, and as regards the completion of the clerks' schemes, steps have been taken to the Ministry of Justice in compliance with the new professional statutes.
"Amidst an expected increase in the workload of courts as against data in the previous report, the council publicly recognises the effort of magistrates when faced with a significant shortage of human resources at the beginning of the evaluation period, and assures the professional body that it is appreciated and aware. The results of the Rule of Law Report are the results of the entire professional body of magistrates and of each of the judges and prosecutors in Romania.".
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