Discussions About the Constitutionality of Art. 55 Paragraph 1 and 2, Law 304/2004

Abstract

The provisions of the Article 55(1) and (2) of the Law No. 304/2004 concerning the organisation of judiciary, republished, run counter to the Constitutional framework of Article 21(3) and also to the more favourable provisions of the Article 6(1) of the European Convention on Human Rights, directly applicable according to Articles 11 and 20(2) of the Constitution of Romania as far as they are construed as the mandatory opinion expressed by the judiciary assistants may not be debated by the litigants as the Court has not reached a decision.

The same provisions run counter the Constitutional framework of Articles 1(4) and 124(3) and also to more favourable provisions of the Article 6(1) of the European Convention on Human Rights, as far as they are construes as the judiciary assistants may take part in the deliberations, having a secret nature deemed to guarantee the independence and impartiality of the judges, and that those are obliged to sign the judgments.

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