The Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) on Thursday overruled as unjustifiable the Ombudsman’s appeal against the controversial emergency ordinance no. 13 that prompted massive street protests since February 1st. Hoever, the CCR ruled only over the ordinance’s admissibility not in substance. The CCR president, Valer Dorneanu (former Social Democrat member) argued that according to its judgment, the Court relied on the truth that “the EO 13 does not exist anymore”. The EO 13 amending the criminal codes has been repealed by the Grindeanu Government through another emergency ordinance no.14. The hearing prosecutor argued during the CCR sitting that the court “must rule now” over that matter and to pronounce over the ordinance in substance, even if it has been repealed, for it’s possible that the EO no 14 (repealing the EO NO 13) to be vetoed in Parliament and thus the EO no 13 to be enforced, and the courts will have to consider it even if it is eventually declared unconstitutional. On the other hand, the CCR president Valer Dorneanu argued that the issues under the EO 13 related to amending some articles in the criminal code to be in compliance with the CCR decision must be solved between the Executive and the Parliament, which must loyally cooperate. “It’s not our business to establish now or some other time what way they should choose,” Dorneanu said.
Also that day, the Constitutional Court rejected two pleas made by President Iohannis and the Supreme Council of the Magistracy (CSM) that claimed an institutional conflict between the Parliament, respectively the CSM on one hand, and the Government on the other, in a move that surprised the critics of the PSD-led cabinet and the protesters. The next day it rejected the final plea made by the Ombudsman on reasons of inadmissibility.