Romanian “Justice Leaks” Files

Romanian Justice Leaks is a recent scandal which implies judges, prosecutors, and even political parties or politician. This started when one of the most accessed Romanian news platforms, stiripesurse.ro, began a series of so-called justice leaks. In a series of posts, the platform revealed discussions posted on Facebook or Whatsapp groups, probably saved by a group member.

Basically, the journalists were given access to inside discussions from social media groups. There, judges and prosecutors discussed the justice situation in Romania, by naming names and issues and by discussing the political parties’ position regarding justice. Particularly, they used not-so-professional expressions regarding certain politicians and colleagues.

In Romania, it is forbidden for judges and prosecutors to express their political opinion in public. By all means, an internal forum is still considered to be public, as there are many members enlisted and participating in the discussions.

Romanian Justice Leaks files – magistrates ask for the foreign embassies’ help

Justice leaks files conducted to the sanctioning of the members whose behavior was against the law and the regulations.

But, when anybody expected this to be the last chapter of the series, a new phase of the scandal emerged. This time, as they use to do in Romania, the foreign embassies were involved.

The Romanian Judges Forum Association sent a letter to the embassies of some Western states, namely Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Norway, and the British ones.

Is this influence peddling or not?

The letter was published by the same Romanian news platform, which also claims this gesture constitutes influence-peddling as it is defined by Romanian law. The reason is that the letter tries to put pressure on the foreign embassies for them to intervene in the favor of the sanctioned members of the forum.

Influence peddling or not, it is visible that the problems of justice in Romania are not ending, but on the contrary. Also, when such professional associations retort to such methods, it is clear that the system is used to behave in this manner.

How can Romanian justice be cured by old habits unless the very judges and prosecutors understand they have to stay away from trying to influence or from commenting on the political decisions? How can the Romanian justice system be protected by political influence when the very magistrates behave in such a manner?

On the other hand, it wouldn’t be the first or the last time when foreign embassies involve in the Romanian justice system or when they try to solve a certain issue. The American Embassy in Bucharest is particularly notorious for the involvement, whether from the highest level or the lower ones.

Is Romania the most corrupted country in the European Union? Arguably NOT. But here the justice system is placed under the famous monitoring mechanism of the EU, named in a pure Orwellian style the Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification. This is the excuse used by the European or by the Western powers to interfere with a system that should be protected by such interferences. This is why the judges, in return, now ask for another interference of the foreign embassies.

The message of the judges to the foreign powers in this case? Do you like interfering with the Romanian justice system? Please, interfere once more and use your influence to save our skin in the matter!

Romanian justice leaks only show the justice system in the country is far from escaping the influences of the distant past.