8 out of 20 candidates for the position of SCJ judge were heard by the Vetting Commission

In the week of January 15-19, 2024, the Vetting Commission interviewed eight out of the twenty candidates for the position of judge at the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) sent to the Commission by the Superior Council of Magistracy. The hearings took place as part of the evaluation of the financial and ethical integrity of the candidates, based on the provisions of Law 65/2023, subordinate regulations, and other legislative acts. Among those interviewed were two judges from different levels of courts: Aurelia Cazacliu and Andrian Ciobanu, attorneys Ion Buruiană, Aliona Ciocanu, Irina Iacub, and Mihail Lvovschi, prosecutor Ion Tețcu, and member of the Superior Council of Prosecutors, Svetlana Balmuș.

During the hearings, Commission members asked questions to clarify aspects related to integrity doubts that could not be clarified through written communication or in question-and-answer rounds. Financial integrity topics addressed included the difference between assets, expenses, and income (unexplained wealth), the source of donations, cash savings, suspicious transactions, loans, expenses associated with children's education, as well as ethical integrity aspects, conflicts of interest, behaviors, or arbitrary acts contrary to the law, sanctioned by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). At the end of each hearing, candidates had the opportunity to make statements if they deemed it necessary. The hearings were conducted in Romanian, with simultaneous translation into English to ensure access to information for all interested parties. The hearings were recorded through audio and video means, and the recordings were published on the Vetting Commission's website www.vettingmd.eu and on the YouTube channel Comisia Vetting | Vetting Commission - YouTube.

After the hearings, the Commission is to approve a report containing the relevant facts, the reasons, and the proposal whether the candidate should pass or fail the evaluation. The report will be sent to the subject of the assessment and to the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM), which will have 30 days from the receipt of the Commission's report to issue a reasoned decision.

As a reminder, in the context of the vetting of the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ), the Vetting Commission is conducting the assessment of three sitting SCJ judges and 20 candidates for the position of SCJ judge. So far ten candidates and one SCJ judge have been heard, another two SCJ judges and 10 SCJ candidates will be heard in the next round.

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