Head of Court of Appeal on referendum in justice: I don’t know how we could proceed with it

The president of the Bucharest Court of Appeal, Liana Arsenie, says she does not know whether magistrates will participate in a possible referendum on justice, proposed by President Nicușor Dan, because she does not believe it is „our role in this game.”

Liana Arsenie stated on MEDIAFAX’s OFF The Record program that this initiative is „exclusively political.”

„I don’t know if they (the judges – ed.) will participate. I wonder what our role is in this game, which is exclusively political and for political capitalization. When you remove responsibility from a person’s conduct and make them anonymous, regardless of their education or professional status, all you will achieve is something that cannot be used to examine a system. And so, in this context, I don’t know what purpose it serves or who it serves, which is why it is very important for us, every judge, to think about what we are looking for in this game. And if it is our role, if it is our place in this game, if we are judges and our only reference point is the law, what is the purpose of this initiative? What is the rationale?” says Arsenie.

The head of the CAB believes that „out of respect for the presidential office,” some judges „may comply” with the referendum.

„But by virtue of our obligation and status as a power in the state, which ensures compliance with the law, I don’t know how we could comply,” says Liana Arsenie.

Asked what the purpose of such an undertaking would be, Liana Arsenie said it was „a political game.”

„I don’t know what the calculations are. I am not an expert in this area of political games. I only know that I don’t think we have any business getting involved in these political games, and politicians should understand that a democratic state cannot function in this way,” added the head of the Bucharest Court of Appeal.