The Bucharest Court of Appeal has postponed its ruling on the request to suspend the appointment of two judges to the Constitutional Court

The Bucharest Court of Appeal has concluded the hearing in which it considered a lawyer's request to suspend the decrees appointing two individuals as judges to the Constitutional Court.

The court has reserved its decision until January 16.

A decision in favor of the suspension request could lead to a further postponement regarding magistrates' pensions.

The law on this issue is currently awaiting a decision by the Constitutional Court, also on January 16.

The defendants, constitutional judges Dacian Dragos and Mihai Busuioc, are not present in the courtroom, but have requested postponements in order to hire lawyers, requests that were rejected by Judge Olimpiea Creteanu.

Although she did not combine the two cases, she discussed them in parallel with the legal advisors.

In the case of Dacian Dragos, representatives of the Presidential Administration argued that the court did not have jurisdiction to judge because Judge Dacian Dragos was not summoned to the defendant's home, but to the headquarters of the Constitutional Court. They also verbally requested the recusal of the magistrate.

Representatives of the Presidential Administration also requested that the Constitutional Court be notified regarding the article in the law governing the functioning of the CCR concerning seniority in legal practice and specialized education.

Silvia Uscov asked that all requests be rejected and stated that she made the requests as a citizen of Romania, not as a lawyer, because she does not represent any client, but rather the public interest of all citizens.

The judge presiding over this case, Olimpiea Creteanu, acquitted businessman Ioan Niculae in 2013, despite having requested recusal, and the head of the Braila County Council, Gheorghe Bunea Stancu, in the "Bribes to the PSD" case.

Translated by: Radu Matei