Romanian president nominates new Constitutional Court judge

Romanian president Nicușor Dan has appointed university professor Dacian Cosmin Dragoș as a judge on the Constitutional Court (CCR). The appointment was made official on Tuesday, July 8, through a presidential decree. 

Dragoș, a professor at the Faculty of Political, Administrative and Communication Sciences and a PhD supervisor at the Faculty of Law at Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, will begin his nine-year term on July 13.

The nomination falls under the constitutional powers of the president, who appoints three of the nine Constitutional Court judges, the Romanian Presidency explained. The top court is renewed by a third of its members every three years.

Dacian Cosmin Dragoș is a widely respected expert in administrative and European law. He was a recipient of the prestigious Marie Curie European research fellowship at Michigan State University (2005–2006) and served as a World Bank expert in public procurement between 2020 and 2023. 

He has played a key role in drafting Romania’s Administrative Procedure Code and Administrative Code and has contributed significantly to both national and international projects focused on public administration reform and the rule of law, according to the press release.

His legal expertise also extends to high-profile international cases. He served as legal expert for Romania in the Roșia Montană arbitration and other disputes. 

Additionally, he chaired the National Council of Ethics for Scientific Research, Technological Development, and Innovation during 2016–2017 and 2020–2023.

“Through this nomination, the president of Romania reaffirms his strong commitment to the proper functioning of public authorities, the independence of the judiciary, the respect for the rule of law, and the strengthening of the Constitutional Court’s role as the guardian of the supremacy of the Constitution,” the Presidency said.

The Constitutional Court of Romania is composed of nine judges appointed for a nine-year term that cannot be extended or renewed. Three judges are appointed by the Chamber of Deputies, three by the Senate, and three by the president, according to Euronews Romania.

In late June, the Parliament also appointed two new judges to the Constitutional Court: Mihai Busuioc, proposed by the Social Democratic Party (PSD), and Csaba Asztalos, proposed by the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR). They will replace Marian Enache and Livia Stanciu, whose mandates expire on July 13.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea)


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