Radu Marinescu announces merger of small prosecutor’s offices / 134 units to be absorbed by prosecutor’s offices in county seats

Justice Minister Radu Marinescu has announced the reorganization of Romania’s prosecutor’s offices through the merger of 134 small units with larger prosecutor’s offices in county seats. The measure aims to improve the efficiency of prosecutors’ work, reduce spending, and promote specialization.

Of the 175 prosecutor’s offices attached to district courts in the counties, 41 units would remain—one in each county—with their main headquarters in the county seat. Permanent secondary offices would operate in localities where district courts are located. The reorganization does not cover the prosecutor’s offices attached to the district courts in Bucharest.

The draft provides for the abolition of 134 chief prosecutor positions and 134 chief clerk positions. Estimated savings amount to nearly 74 million lei annually, or more than six million lei per month. The minister also cited an estimate of nearly 80 million lei.

According to the Ministry of Justice, 108 of the current prosecutor’s offices have no more than five prosecutor positions, while 12 operated without any prosecutors between 2018 and 2026. Vacant positions could be redistributed across regions comprising three or four counties or, subsequently, nationwide.