The CSM again asks the Government for urgent measures to avoid the collapse of the justice system. Big shortage of judges and clerks
The Superior Council of the Magistracy addresses publicly for the seventh time during the year the Government of Romania and the Ministry of Justice, requesting the adoption of concrete and effective measures to avoid the systemic collapse of justice in Romania.
The Supreme Council of the Magistracy PHOTO: Facebook
The Superior Council of the Magistracy once again requested the Prime Minister of Romania and the Ministry of Justice to unblock the competitions for direct admission to the judiciary suspended by normative acts, in order to reduce the national deficit of judges and prosecutors.
At the same time, the CSM proposed the allocation of clerk positions, considering that 4874 positions are needed, and in 6 years at least 600 positions were promised and no position was allocated.
It is also desired to establish the positions of assistant judges, an additional number of 712 positions of assistant judges being necessary to ensure an optimal ratio of at least 1 assistant judge to 3 judges.
“The executive power destabilizes the judicial power by blocking the possibility of recruiting the necessary personnel resource. The last competition for direct admission to the judiciary could be started according to the legislation in force on July 25, 2024, in the last 2 years the possibility of direct recruitment of judges has been eliminated by normative acts. At the level of the courts, there are more than 800 judge positions vacant, which also include the vacant positions from the reserve fund, the shortage of magistrates approaching the percentage of 16%, according to a press release. Although at the end of May 2026 the CSM Plenary analyzed the serious situation in which two judges are and communicated that this situation was generated by the irresponsible public policies of the Romanian Government, until this moment the Memorandum for unblocking competitions for direct admission to the judiciary sent by the Council since April 29, 2026 has not been adopted, the Government still refusing his approval“, announced the CSM in a press release.
According to the CSM, Romania ranks first in the European Union in terms of the number of cases registered before the courts, and the volume of activity is increasing. Thus, there are already 11% more cases registered in the courts than last year in the same period, with approximately 2.4 million files pending at this moment in all procedural phases.
The seventh CSM request during the year for clerks and assistants of judges
Regarding the allocation of clerk positions, since 2019 it has been found that 4874 additional clerk positions are needed, an aspect that was brought to the attention of the Executive, agreeing that the increase in the number of positions will be achieved gradually, by 200 positions per year, and it is necessary to allocate 600 positions corresponding to the period 2021 – 2023.
The Council returned month after month to the Ministry of Justice with the request to establish clerk positions, but all these requests were ignored. Also, all the steps by which the Council requested the allocation of the positions of judge's assistants, for which there is legal regulation according to art. 150 of Law no. 393/2023.
“Although 712 positions are needed, the executive refuses to give effect to this legal regulation, it exists only formally, as it is ignored, just like all other requests. The approach of the executive power violates the constitutional balance between the powers of the state regulated by the Romanian Constitution. Moreover, instead of being aware of the seriousness of the situation created at the level of the judicial system through the public policies adopted in the last 2 years – budgetary, economic and personnel, the Government of Romania initiated a draft law salary, which through its content and concrete effects will undermine justice as a power in the state, from the perspective of the financial independence of the magistrates, perpetuating the general trend of the last 2 years of affecting the status of the magistrate. Ignoring the citizens' need for access to an efficient justice, within a reasonable time, the executive power has constantly positioned itself against the judicial power, refusing real, constructive dialogue and inter-institutional collaboration for the benefit of Romanian society and the guarantees of the rule of law in the component related to the consolidation of justice, according to the place and role of each power in the state“, the CSM also announces.
