Court for Roma in Sibiu

The first Roma court has been inaugurated in Sibiu on Monday, which will work in accordance with Roma regulations, in order to rule over violations of Roma customs and civil issues between Roma families.

The initiative belongs to the self-styled King of the Roma Florin Cioabă and his son Dorin Cioabă, with the latter being the president of the Roma court, also known as "Romano Staboro".

According to its initiators, the Roma court will only rule over violations of Roma customs and civil issues between Roma families.

Cioabă stated that the court will not interfere with Romanian justice institutions nor represent a parallel justice system, but will only rule over disputes between Roma families.

Stabor representatives also mentioned the court will not handle criminal cases.

The court is composed of a group of 20 elders, who are members of different Roma communities and nations in several areas of the country: cauldron-makers, silversmiths, Hungarian Roma etc.

A trial took place right after the court was inaugurated, namely a dispute two members of a Roma family, who argued the bequest of a necklace made of gold coins.

After hearings, the court which consisted of nine members on Monday’s trial, has decided to postpone the trial by one month, in order for the two parties to bring witnesses to justice.

The "Romano Staboro" Roma court’s headquarters were built in the proximity of self-styled King of the Roma Florin Cioabă and the entrance into the building highly resembles a Roma tent.

Translated by Mihaela Grigoraş
MA Student, MTTLC, Bucharest University