The president of the Timiș Court of Appeals: We, the judges, have trembled when the protocols threatened us…

Today is Justice Day. Perhaps this is why seven members of the Superior Council of Magistracy (of Romania) chose not to participate in the meeting convened for the validation of the Chief Prosecutor of the Special Section for the Investigation of Crimes Committed by Magistrates. This is how they decided to pay tribute to the justice system.

Adriana Stoicescu, President of the Timiș Court of Appeals, wrote to her colleagues a Diagnostic Letter in which she openly admits that the fundamental blame for the abuses committed in the last 14 years under the umbrella of the „fight against corruption” lays with the judges:

„The need for truth should make us take to the streets.

Because we all participated in the great hypocrisy and there were too few who told the truth.

The abuses would not have existed if we had not backed them.

We, the judges, are the ones who issued countless warrants.

We, the judges, issued approvals for wiretaps based on reasons which were sometimes sketchy, without much research or asking questions.

We, the judges, trembled when the oranges [reference to a prosecutor nicknamed The Orange – t.n.] threatened to prosecute us if we stop ordering preventive measures.

We, the judges, have been silent from the beginning, afraid of being accused of undermining the glorious fight against corruption.

We, the judges, hid in our offices, believing what we were told about the cuckoo clock criminal, the ostrich farmer criminal, the the criminal with beads, smiling in a condescending way, convinced that our law enforcement agencies represent the path, the truth and life.

And, especially, convinced that this cannot happen to us.

Never.

The SRI [Romanian Intelligence Service- t.n.] could have signed 100 protocols with the Prosecutor General’s Office.

Nothing would have happened if we had not looked the other way.

Nothing would have happened if we genuinely understood, in time, that your rights should not be a privilege.

Instead of doing so, we still break rules and laws even today, we hide behind various agencies, hoping that we are protected in this way.

We pretend again that we do not see or understand what is happening when a handful of people defy a whole system, in order to achieve their evil goals.

We cover up a lie with another lie, endlessly repeating childish pretexts, meant to make you think we care.

We lie with ease, we refuse to do our job, even though we the risk destabilizing the country, just so we can keep our absolute and discretionary right to do what we want, without accountability.

The paradox of this country is that it has few Judges and too many magistrates”, wrote Judge Stoicescu.

Admitting guilt, however, can not exonerate somebody from the accountability for the compromising of the concept of justice in Romania. However it’s also the judges job to restore the hope of simple people that they will not be found guilty although they are innocent, as it happened in many cases, and that they will no longer be harassed and blackmailed using case files prepared by pillager prosecutors.

The Superior Council of Magistracy (of Romania) seems to drift away from this role, and Justice can be done in court rooms only individually, through the will, courage and honesty of some judges who are no longer afraid.