CCR judge Dragoș Damian does not think he will be suspended for political reasons: “I don't think there is such indecency at the level of justice”
CCR judge Dacian Dragoș stated, on Antena 3, that a possible suspension of his position following a court decision would be unjustified, being “a game that is played in other spheres”. On the other hand, Damian said that he does not believe that there is “so much indecency” in the judiciary that would lead to the suspension of a judge of the Constitutional Court for political reasons or related to the interests of the judicial system.
Dacian Dragoș stated that he does not believe that his suspension from office will be decided by the Bucharest Court of Appeal as there are no grounds for accusations that he does not have the necessary seniority in the legal field to be a judge of the Constitutional Court or that he would be in incompatibility.
“Such a decision should mean that there is an explanation beyond me and beyond me, a game being played in other spheres,” the judge said.
“I try not to think about conspiracy theories”
Asked if he does not consider the court's decision to be influenced by the political environment or even from within the judicial system, Dragoș said: “I don't think there is such indecency at the level of the judiciary, to remove a judge from the CCR for unfounded reasons.”
He avoided commenting on the fact that the deadlines in the process by which his suspension from office was requested were fixed on days when the judges of the Constitutional Court should have ruled on the reform of the special pensions of the magistrates.
“I can't speculate on those terms. I think there's a logical explanation behind it. I'm trying not to think about conspiracy theories until I see the court's decision, which I think will be a dismissal,” the judge said.
He stated that he had so far had a discussion with President Nicușor Dan, the one who appointed him to the CCR by decree, related to the court action regarding his suspension: “Just a short conversation as we are both defending the same presidential decree. He asked me if there was anything they should know from my CV that could help the defense (…) He told me that he fully supports me, that he appointed me for 9 years and that is how he wants to stay.”
Dacian Dragoș appreciated as “bizarre” the fact that a similar action in court is directed against Mihai Busuioc, another judge of the Court, since the CCR has already ruled on the constitutionality of his appointment. However, if he is suspended, the judge announced that he will appeal the decision to the High Court.
A new postponement at the Bucharest Court of Appeal in the case of the request to suspend two CCR judges / The new term, again on the same day when the Court must give a decision on special pensions
Coincidences in terms from CCR and CAB
The Bucharest Court of Appeal postponed on January 30 the pronouncement of a decision on the request submitted by AUR lawyer Silvia Uscov to suspend from office the judges of the Constitutional Court Mihai Busuioc and Dacian Dragoş. The new deadline is set for the day when the CCR will again have the Bolojan project on the table to modify the magistrates' pensions.
The new deadline for pronouncing the decision was set by the Bucharest Court of Appeal for February 11, at 9:00 a.m. At the CCR, the meeting on February 11 for magistrates' pensions is from 10.00.
It is for the second time that the court led by Liana Arsenie postpones a decision in this case for the day when the CCR must decide whether the project that reduces magistrates' pensions and retirement age is constitutional. On January 16, the same day that the CCR postponed again the decision in the case of the service pensions of the magistrates, the Bucharest Court of Appeal postponed the ruling on the situation of the two CCR judges until January 30.
The decision that the Bucharest Court of Appeal will pronounce in the case of CCR judges Mihai Busuioc and Dacian Dragoș will not be final, but may be enforceable, which could lead to their suspension in case of admission.
Who are the two contested CCR judges?
Dacian Cosmin Dragoş, appointed by President Nicusor Dan as a judge at the Constitutional Court, is a university professor at the Faculty of Political, Administrative and Communication Sciences and PhD supervisor at the Faculty of Law of the Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca. He replaced Livia Stanciu.
On January 15, lawyer Uscov presented a series of documents that show that judge Dacian Dragoș, in parallel with his position at the CCR, appears as an administrator at a joint-stock company in Cluj Napoca.
Dacian Dragoș explained at that time to HotNews that he resigned from that position, before being appointed to the CCR, but he does not know if the General Meeting of Shareholders communicated this to the National Office for the Trade Register, as required by law.
Dacian Cosmin Dragoş is part of the CCR camp that supports the Government's special pension reform project, a camp that has a fragile majority of 5 to 4, notes Agerpres.
Mihai Busuic, former president of the Court of Accounts, proposed by the PSD and supported by the government coalition, was voted by the Senate for the post of judge at the CCR, replacing Marian Enache, who also held the position of president of the Court.
