Romania judicial updates: Judge expelled and Gendarmerie appeal begins

The Romanian judicial system is facing several significant legal developments. The High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ) has definitively confirmed the expulsion of judge Daniela Marilena Stoica from the magistracy. The decision follows findings that she repeatedly and without justifiable reason delayed rulings in 387 civil cases, with some delays lasting up to 381 days.

Separately, the Bucharest Military Court of Appeal has begun hearing the appeal in the ‘10 August’ case. This case involves former leaders of the Romanian Gendarmerie—Colonel Gheorghe Sebastian Cucoș, Colonel Laurențiu Cazan, and Colonel Cătălin Sindile—who were previously acquitted in the first instance of abuse of office regarding the 2018 protests. The prosecution and over 100 injured parties have appealed the initial acquittal, noting that the statute of limitations for these offenses expires in October.

In other legal matters, a Bucharest lawyer has been sent to trial for continuous tax evasion. Prosecutors allege she failed to declare professional income exceeding 650,000 lei, resulting in a state loss of approximately 122,747 lei. Additionally, the selection process for Romania’s representative to the Court of Justice of the European Union has been suspended following a legal challenge by judge Laura Mihaela Sarcină against a government memorandum regarding the selection procedure.