The Prosecutor General's Office warns that the new public-sector pay law would cause serious harm to the status of the prosecutor, and says it will examine 'all necessary legal steps' to defend that status.

In a statement, the Prosecutor General's Office said the bill reduces salary rights and undermines the financial guarantees that form an essential component of judicial independence.

'The provisions of the bill are liable to bring serious harm to the status of the prosecutor by diminishing salary rights and affecting the financial guarantees associated with this status, essential components of the independence of the judiciary. Contrary to Article 3(2) of Chapter VIII of Annex V, which states that the remuneration of judges and prosecutors must ensure real economic independence, the draft affects precisely these guarantees,' the institution said.

The Public Prosecution Office argues that the bill contains provisions that lower the prosecutors' income in a manner inconsistent with their constitutional role and responsibilities. It also criticises the mechanism of a 'transitional salary difference', saying it is temporary, ambiguous and lacks predictability, including regarding whether it would count toward pension rights.

It further warns that certain provisions could create profoundly anachronistic situations, such as promotions to higher-level prosecutor's offices resulting in lower pay, a scenario that could block the activity of upper-tier courts and prosecutors' offices and destabilise human resources by demotivating staff and reducing the profession's attractiveness for law graduates.

The Prosecutor's Office flags particular concern for newly appointed prosecutors, who would earn significantly less than colleagues who entered the profession just a year earlier.

The institution says it aligns itself with the position of the Superior Council of Magistrates (CSM) and will assess all legal avenues to protect the prosecutors' status.

It also warns of the negative impact the bill could have on the prosecutorial corps amid high workloads and a significant staffing deficit, with the risk of accelerating departures from the profession.

'Any modification to magistrates' salary rights must result from a complex analysis that takes into account the concrete working conditions of courts and prosecutors' offices, the disproportionate workload, and the regime of incompatibilities and prohibitions applicable to them,' the statement adds.

The Prosecutor's Office also publicly calls for credit-authorising officers in the judiciary to be included in the ongoing public debate on the pay law, stressing that adopting the bill in its current form would negatively affect the functioning of the judicial system and its ability to deliver justice that is efficient, predictable and of high quality. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Eusebi Manolache; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)