EC's Timmermans: Policing of magistrates should be done by magistrates, not by ministers or politicians

First Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans, considers that policing the magistrates in Romania should be done by the judiciary itself.

On a visit to Romania on Thursday, Timmermans gave a news conference, where he was asked about a recent report by Romania's Justice Minister Tudorel Toader arguing for the removal from office of the chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) Laura Codruta Kovesi.

"As I've also said to the presidents in Parliament, as I've also said to the prime minister, the minister of Justice today, it is my firm conviction that policing of magistrates should be done by magistrates. And so, if there is a problem with a magistrate, there are instances in the judiciary that will look into that problem. Human beings, we are all sinners; sometime we do a good job, sometimes we do a less good job. And also in the judiciary there will people to do a bad job, and if they do a bad job, there should be instances that should look into that and correct that. But those instances should not be politicians, and should not be people in the Executive; it should be people in the judiciary. That is, I think, a very important principle to safeguard the separation of powers. But is also puts a big responsibility on the judiciary itself. If there are doubts about policing the judiciary by the judiciary, then you will get all sorts of discussions we would rather avoid. As a matter of principle, I believe correcting mistakes in the judiciary is a task of the judiciary itself," Timmermans told the news conference.

He said he saw the report drawn up by the justice minister in Kovesi's case.

"I have been informed, and I've seen the report, but I am not a judge in this case. I am not going to be the one who says whether there are right or wrong assertions against Mrs Kovesi. That's not my role. What I'm saying is a matter of principle that if there are allegations against the magistrates, then there should be instances within the judiciary who look in to that and then take that role. I don't think, frankly, that should be the role of a minister of justice, nor of any other politician; that is matter of separation of powers, in my view, and that is, I think, the practice in most parts of the world. (...) We are here to make improvements and we hope our advice will lead to improvements," Timmermans said. AGERPRES (RO - author: Florentina Peia, editor: Florin Marin; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Rodica State)