The head of the Superior Council of Magistracy: A pension of 11,000 lei seems small / our standard of living is an average
Elena Costache, head of CSM. Photo source: Digi24 video capture
The President of the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM), Elena Costache, says that a pension of 70% of the net salary of a magistrate – about 11,309 lei – is insufficient and that the independence of the magistrates depends on the money.
The statements of the head of the SCM were made in an interview with Digi24. Asked if he considers 70% of the last net salary as a small amount, Elena Costache has assumed a “direct answer”.
“I should make an exact calculation, I have not done it yet. Now I will take a direct answer-yes, it seems a little and I will tell you and why it seems a little,” said Elena Costache.
The head of the SCM has revealed and what salaries receive, on average, the magistrates.
“Let's see how much an average salary is. At the level of the court of appeal, net monthly: 20,000 lei, has a comma … 346; court: 17.948; court: 16.157. To apply 70% of these amounts. (Would be 11,309 lei pension – no). Under what conditions? I do nothing as a judge, ”said Costache.
“” I cannot, after judging a file, go to open a law consulting office and give legal consultations and make some more money. And then everyone agreed: not to fall into this sin of comparisons that have no purpose. From all points of view we are unique, I do not have this. Let's get to the profession.
“The standard of living of the magistrates is an average one”
Next, Elena Costache argued that the level of living of the magistrates is “a normal one” and that the lack of money in court would lead to the loss of the magistrates' independence.
“To look a little at all the aspects I have presented and to think first of all what kind of justice in a democratic state. Do they want to transform justice? To be a serviced justice, a justice to whom?” Costache said.
“But are we not people? How do we live? We live outside the hemisphere? We do not live? We do not drink? Our standard of living is a normal level, it is a mean level. Independent, the company has no way to work normally, ”said the head of the SCM.
The pensions of the magistrates
Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan announced on Tuesday the proposals for the pensions of the magistrates.
Important changes include increasing the retirement age for magistrates to 65 years, increasing seniority from 25 to 35 years and limiting the pension to up to 70% of the net salary, compared to 80% of the gross salary, as it is now, said Bolojan.
“We propose the increase of the retirement age and the entry into the system of justice in a standard age of 65. Also, compared to the age that today provides for the 25 -year law, which allows the retirement to 48, we propose an increase of the age after which you can retire at 35 years. Not at 48, but at 58 years old.
The prime minister's announcement was welcomed with a hard reaction from the SCM, who accused that the measures announced by the prime minister “flagrantly violates the principles of the Constitution”.
“The president is not a notary,” said Nicușor Dan to the Superior Council of Magistracy, on Wednesday, in a press conference on the special pensions of the magistrates. He criticized that there is no predictability regarding the retirements and that the magistrates who want to retire do not mention in their requests the date from which they want to leave the system.
