Romania leader worried about critical report on law changes

BUCHAREST, Romania – Romania’s president is urging lawmakers to pay heed to a report from Europe’s top human rights body that criticized contentious revisions to the justice system.

President Klaus Iohannis called on Parliament “not to ignore” recommendations made Friday by the Venice Commission, a board of legal experts with the Council of Europe.

In a preliminary report, the commission said the president should be involved in appointing and dismissing chief prosecutors and warned about the justice minister have too much authority in the process.

It also advised against plans to create a special department to probe judges and prosecutors on suspicion of wrongdoing, expressing misgivings about a law that would oblige them to pay damages in an erroneous ruling.

Iohannis called the report “a worrying sign” for an independent justice system.