The Ethics Committee of the University of Craiova decided on Friday to examine complaints concerning the doctoral thesis of Justice Minister Radu Marinescu, who has been accused of plagiarism.

'The University Ethics Committee of the University of Craiova, convened in an extraordinary meeting today, 16 January 2026, decided to open an analysis file regarding complaints no. 56/13.01.2026 and no. 76/14.01.2026,' the Ethics Committee said in a press release sent to AGERPRES.

On Monday, after being accused of plagiarism in his doctoral thesis, Radu Marinescu stated that he had complied with all academic guidance and standards of ethics and scientific quality, and that the thesis had been assessed by his academic supervisor, the doctoral committee and CNATDCU.

'Why now? Why me? In a defamatory article full of contradictions, which obsessively repeats earlier slanders directed at me (lawyer for criminals, imposed as minister by clans with obscure interests, etc.), an article that repeatedly insists on the procedure for the selection of prosecutors launched by the Ministry of Justice just a few days ago (which explains 'why me' and 'why now'), without even using a software-based analysis, journalist Emilia Sercan accuses me of plagiarism in my doctoral thesis, something I did not do,' Radu Marinescu wrote on Facebook.

He added that he had prepared his doctoral thesis under the supervision of Professor Ion Dogaru and that it had been assessed in line with all applicable standards.

'I graduated as valedictorian, with full-time studies and no interruptions, from the Faculty of Law of the State University of Craiova. Immediately after graduation, I entered the legal profession and practised continuously for thirty years as a lawyer within the Dolj Bar, my professional competence being recognised, including through repeated election to the profession's governing bodies. I represented the Dolj Bar internationally within the Federation of European Bars. Approximately 17 years ago, at the same prestigious state law faculty, I prepared my doctoral thesis under the supervision of the late academician Professor Ion Dogaru. I complied with the guidance and standards of ethics and scientific quality, in accordance with the legislation in force at the time, the thesis being assessed by the supervisor, the doctoral committee and CNATDCU, with no irregularities identified. I also note that I do not hold a university chair and am only an external collaborator (associate lecturer) at the University of Craiova,' the Justice Minister stressed.

Regarding journalist Emilia Sercan's claims concerning doubts about the ethical, scientific quality and legality standards of the thesis, Marinescu said these standards had been established and validated by the doctoral committee and CNATDCU, in accordance with the law in force at the time.

'To the extent that anyone challenges them, even after almost 20 years, they are fully entitled to address the competent bodies under the law. Truth cannot be equated with mere media allegations, however bizarre (claims that I plagiarised even though the footnotes cite the authors allegedly copied; that some texts are in fact legal reformulations and not copy-paste, as the accusation suggests; or supposed conspiracies involving accomplices or unidentified plagiarised works; allegations that I plagiarised the history of evidence, which is in fact unique, or other such claims of juridical conceptual unanimity, or that I presented older case law while analysing former legal codes),' Marinescu added.

The minister recalled that, according to Constitutional Court Decision no. 364 of 8 June 2022, which is binding, these standards 'cannot be re-examined with legal relevance' in light of the succession of laws over time, as regards the scientific value of the thesis, 'there being no constitutional or legal basis for this'.

The Justice Minister's clarifications come after PressOne reported that 'more than half of Justice Minister Radu Marinescu's doctoral thesis in law is plagiarised'. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Maria Mitrica; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)