I write about decisions of the High Court and the Constitutional Court, about legislative changes, and about what they mean in practice for someone facing criminal proceedings. The articles themselves are in Romanian — below is what each covers, so you can tell whether it is relevant to your situation.
If one of them touches on your case and you would like it explained in English, say so when you get in touch.
Driving offences, alcohol and drugs
- High Court Decision no. 25/2025 on drug driving — the Court holds that the mere presence of a psychoactive substance in a blood sample is not enough; it must also be proved that the substance impaired the capacity to drive. January 2025.
- Blood samples may now be taken in an ambulance — and a clinical examination becomes mandatory in such cases. Practical consequences for the chain of custody. March 2024.
- Statutory thresholds for psychoactive substance consumption — television commentary on why Romania lacks the quantitative thresholds that exist for alcohol. April 2024.
- Drug trafficking and the “2 May Law” — the implications of the 2023 amendments and the interpretive difficulties they created for the courts. March 2024.
Procedural rights
- Your rights when summoned by the police as an accused person — the right to silence, what you should and should not sign, and why a statement given too early can be irreversible. June 2024.
- The right to a lawyer for suspects and defendants — what the 2024 legislative amendments changed. May 2024.
- Video hearings in criminal trials — a Court of Justice of the European Union ruling on defendants participating by video link, and the conditions under which it may be used. July 2024.
Financial crime
- The Constitutional Court on tax evasion — a step towards normality in how the offence is framed. March 2024.
- Income from virtual currency transfers — national television discussion on how crypto gains interact with tax evasion law. December 2022.
The legal profession
- Advertising and digitalisation for lawyers — a conversation published in Penalmente Relevant. March 2023.