JusMin Toader: Justice legislation, amendments to criminal codes, transposition of directives, discussed with Venice Commission

Justice Minister Tudorel Toader said on Monday that talks with a Venice Commission delegation will focus on Romania's justice legislation, amendments to the criminal codes, the transposition of European directives into the Romanian legislation, and getting other pieces of legislation in line with the rulings of the Constitutional Court. 

"Obviously, the justice legislation will be discussed as well as the amendments to the criminal codes, criminal proceedings, perhaps transposing the directives, complying with the decisions of the Constitutional Court," Toader said Monday before a meeting with the Venice Commission delegation at the headquarters of the Ministry of Justice. 

The delegation will have meetings with the President of Romania, the Ministry of Justice, the High Court of Cassation and Justice, the Constitutional Court, the General Prosecutor's Office and the National Anticorruption Directorate, the Superior Council of Magistracy, parliament representatives including the Special Parliamentary Committee for amending the laws of justice, associations of judges and prosecutors, and civil society organisations, according to a press statement released by the commission. 

Both the President of Romania and the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe have requested the opinion of the Venice Commission, a consultative body of the Council of Europe, composed of independent experts in the field of the constitutional law, on the three draft laws. 

Regarding the decision of the Constitutional Court in the case of DNA Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi, Toader reiterated that he expects President Klaus Iohannis to fulfill his obligation. 

"There is no deadline for that. I understand that he will read the CCR ruling, and I also understand that he will read it until he understands it, and I am voicing the same conviction that he will fulfill his obligation," Toader said.