President Dan: It is utterly absurd for magistrate's pension to equal salary under current law

 President Nicusor Dan criticized the current legislation on Wednesday, calling it "utterly absurd" that a magistrate's pension could equal their full salary upon retirement.The president announced on Wednesday that he has received 76 retirement requests from magistrates. Of these, two have withdrawn their applications, while in two other cases, specialists advised that the decisions were likely influenced by the recent "onslaught of information." In light of this, the president expressed his openness to meet personally with those affected.Nicusor Dan also confirmed that the review of all retirement requests has been finalized, and the official decrees will be issued on Friday afternoon."Magistrates who have reconsidered their decision can still reach out to me by Friday," he said.Commenting on the current legal framework, the president criticized it for encouraging premature departures from the judiciary."We have lost the quality of the judicial process. Nothing can substitute the experience these individuals bring," he emphasized.The president also expressed his respect for the magistrates who choose to stay, despite being encouraged to leave.   On the other hand, President Nicusor Dan told a press conference on Wednesday that, throughout his term, he plans to frequently attend the meetings of the Supreme Council of Magistrates (CSM) and that he will come up with very well-prepared topics. The president took issue with the utter "disarray" regarding retirement applications in the judiciary, stressing that roughly 70% thereof do not indicate a precise retirement date, and also that to their overwhelming majority, they ignore the requirement according to which a magistrate who intends to withdraw from activity should give the court they sit on a 90-day retirement notice, so that the respective institution be able to organize himself."It is unacceptable that in this elite institution there is no minimum predictability," Nicusor Dan insisted.The president also emphasized the need for dialogue on the issue of magistrates' pensions."We are all responsible people, and regrettably, we have widely witnessed a decline in the act of justice in the last four or five years, precisely because there has been no such dialogue, and in my opinion, society compels us to engage in a dialogue on this subject," he added. (Photo:https://www.presidency.ro/)