Endemic corruption in Romanian judiciary

The Romanian MP Cătălin Voicu was placed in custody pending trial this week, charged with having bribed several judges. Hundreds of judges have protested openly at the fact that the Supreme Council of Magistrates (CSM), an internal organ for judiciary control, has not yet made any statements regarding the charges. The daily Adevărul comments: "The current Council [CSM] has been in office since 2004 and its mandate ends at the end of this year. Then the judicial sector will be called on to appoint nine judges and five public prosecutors who will be entrusted with defining the fate of their profession for the next six years. The Voicu case is the dynamite they need to launch an explosive debate on the role of the CSM in tackling the endemic corruption within the judicial system. No one believes in miracles. Bribes, interference and connections will continue to mar court proceedings, but at least something has been done [with Voicu]."

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