Humiliating moment for the Romanian justice system. Laura Vicol, a former lawyer for underworld criminals, chaired the meeting of the four parliamentary committees that approved the proposals for Romania’s future judges at the European Court of Human Rights.

Laura Vicol (PSD), the former lawyer of some of the leaders of the underground world, currently chairwoman of the Legal Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, chaired the meeting of the four specialized committees of the Parliament, which approved the proposals for Romania’s future judges at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

„The joint meeting of the four committees was held on the 15th and 16th of February 2022. The chairperson of the meeting, Mrs. Laura Cătălina Vicol Ciorbă, asked the candidates to present to the members of the four committees their most important achievements in their specific field,” reads the joint opinion for the hearing of candidates for the position of judge at the ECHR.

It should be noted that both the candidates on the list of three proposals and the two reserve candidates are experienced magistrates, university professors, or dignitaries. Laura Vicol has distinguished herself in her professional activity as a lawyer for gang leaders such as Nuțu and Sile Cămătaru brothers.

In an indictment, The National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) prosecutors alleged that the lawyer was „in a subordinate relationship” with another gangster who had „authority over her”. G4Media.ro revealed that she attended law school at a private university and has earned a master’s degree at Spiru Haret, also known as the „degree factory”.

After the hearing, according to the votes cast, the members present at the joint meeting of the four committees decided to give a favorable opinion for the candidacies of Sebastian Rădulețu (66 votes in favor), Bogdan Iancu (57 votes in favor) and a favorable opinion for the reserve candidacies of Claudia Jderu (58 votes in favor) and Mihaela Tofan (51 votes in favor).

For Răzvan Horațiu Radu, the members of the four committees decided by vote to propose an unfavorable opinion (29 votes in favor, 30 votes against, and 14 abstentions).

The President of the Chamber of Deputies, Laura Vicol, distinguished herself at the hearings of the candidates in the Chamber of Deputies by initially announcing a positive opinion in the case of Horațiu Radu, which was changed the next day to a negative one by convening a new meeting. According to G4Media.ro sources, Vicol was trying to promote Claudia Jderu, a judge at the Court of Appeal, criminal section, to the list of three candidates to be sent by the Government to the ECHR.

Parliament’s opinion is of an advisory nature. The list of the three proposals was approved by the government at its meeting of 15 December 2021: Sebastian Rădulețu, Bogdan Iancu, Răzvan Horațiu Radu. The reserve proposals approved were Claudia Jderu and Mihaela Tofan.

The list of three candidates must be submitted to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The deadline for submitting the list of three nominees is 5 May 2022.

The mandate of Iulia Motoc, the judge elected on behalf of Romania to the ECHR, will expire on 17 December 2022. The Romanian judge at the ECHR, Iulia Motoc, explained on Facebook that the Strasbourg court recommends the presence of women on the list of proposals sent by the Government to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which will make the final decision.

Translated from Romanian by Ovidiu Harfas. Original Article