site.btaLawyers' Strike Blocks Romanian Judicial System for a Day

A strike of Romanian lawyers blocked the country's judicial system on Wednesday. It was held in 42 towns across Romania, including Bucharest, Brasov, Galati and Constanta, local media reported.

The strikers protested that magistrates set excessively long judicial deadlines, which is to the detriment of the lawyers' clients. They complained that decisions in the system are repeatedly postponed, and sometimes it takes half a year for a court to announce a reasoned decision.

The largest number of strikers gathered in Bucharest, where their discontent targeted increased health insurance contributions and high stamp duty.

According to Bar associations, legal representation fees in Romania are getting lower and lower. They say the state owes public defenders more than RON 700,000 in overdue pay.

The lawyers threatened to resume their protests for an indefinite period, as did Romanian judges recently.