Justice Minister: Supreme Court of Justice's decision to annul severe reprimand given to Ion Muruianu is alarm signal

The decision of the Supreme Court of Justice to cancel the severe reprimand imposed on judge Ion Muruianu, who was recently reinstated in the post of president of the Court, is an alarm signal to the society that the situation in the legal system changes slowly owing to the opposition of some of the representatives of the judiciary. Minister of Justice Alexandru Tanase made the statement on May 13 at the head office of the Liberal Democratic Party, of which he is a member, Info-Prim Neo reports. Alexandru Tanase said it is not normal when an inferior examines a case involving the superior. He stated that after the reasons for taking such a decision are made public, as Minister of Justice he will lodge an additional appeal with the Disciplinary Panel, asking that the complaint against Ion Muruianu be examined. “It is inadmissible for a man who insulted by his statements the entire press, which is a fundamental institution in a democratic society, to remain unpunished and even be justified by a court of law,” Alexandru Tanase said, stressing that the steps to eradicate corruption in the legal subsystem will be stepped up. On March 4, the Parliament discharged Ion Muruianu from the post of president of the Supreme Court of Justice for labeling the journalists ”rabid dogs” and for the cases tried by him that were lost by Moldova at the ECHR. A severe reprimand was then imposed on Muruianu. The Parliament's decision was challenged by the parliamentary group of the Communists Party in court. On April 27, the Constitutional Court ruled that Ion Muruianu's dismissal was unconstitutional. The second day, the Supreme Court of Justice published a communique, announcing that Ion Muruianu was reinstated in his post. On May 12, the severe reprimand was annulled.