Romania’s Constitutional Court struck down on Thursday dozens of changes to the criminal code made by the ruling Social Democrats that had been criticized by the European Union, diplomats and magistrates.
The changes are part of a series of legal and personnel changes made by the Social Democrats in the two years since they took power that are seen as threats to judicial independence and could further heighten European Union concerns about democratic values in some of its eastern member states.
The top court rejected a slew of the changes made to the criminal code, but details of its decision will be released at a later date.
Earlier this month, the court also rejected about 70 percent of changes made to criminal procedures that were challenged and that would have raised the burden of proof.
Both bills will now return to parliament for discussion.
Transparency International ranks Romania as one of the EU’s most corrupt states and Brussels has been keeping its justice system under…
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