The June 2026 meetings of the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) have become a focal point for intense debate over the prescription crisis that has plagued Romania's justice system. This crisis has resulted in the dismissal of thousands of corruption and organized crime cases, sparking public outrage and political tension.

Lia Savonea, the Chief Judge of the High Court of Cassation and Justice (ÎCCJ), has been vocal in her criticism, directing blame at politicians for what she described as a mass prescription amnesty. Savonea also criticized prosecutors for their delayed filings in important cases. "Judges have acted as ideal guarantors of European standards," Savonea asserted, emphasizing their role in upholding human rights.

In stark contrast, Claudiu Sandu, a prosecutor with the CSM, launched a scathing critique of Savonea and the broader judicial leadership. Sandu accused the justice leadership of systemic hypocrisy, alleging that judges' independence was systematically dismantled through internal administrative maneuvers. These included strategic replacements of judges in panels and prolonged delays in key trials, which Sandu claimed were tactics to annul evidence and restart investigations in high-stakes cases until criminal liability expired.

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Sandu partially agreed with Savonea regarding political culpability, acknowledging that politicians could have legislatively saved prescription terms but chose not to intervene. He described this inaction as "ticăloșia și cinismul," highlighting the political complicity in the crisis.

The prosecutor also pointed to a "constitutional trap" set by the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR), which issued a second decision that retrospectively invalidated years of judicial practice, declaring previous work incorrect. This decision, Sandu argued, was issued by politically appointed individuals at the CCR and silenced many criminal lawyers.

The fallout from the crisis has been severe, with major tax evasion and corruption cases collapsing, leading to a general sense of legal chaos. Claudiu Sandu has appealed directly to public opinion, moving the "verdict" from the CSM to the citizens. "If citizens are satisfied with the justice act, then the Section for Judges is right; but if they are not satisfied, it is very possible that I am right," Sandu stated, emphasizing the public's role in assessing the justice system's effectiveness.