High Court rejects Romanian government appeal on judges' back pay
Romania's High Court of Cassation and Justice has rejected the government's appeal, leaving in force an order to pay judges' back salaries within ten days of the ruling becoming final.
The court ruling
Romania's High Court of Cassation and Justice (ÎCCJ) has upheld a decision of the Bucharest Court of Appeal in a lawsuit brought against the government over unpaid salaries owed to judges. The supreme court rejected the appeal filed by the government and the Ministry of Finance on Thursday, 15 October 2026, so the Bucharest ruling of 5 May stands.
- Bucharest Court of Appeal upholds order for the government to pay judges' back salaries
- High Court of Cassation and Justice rejects the government's appeal, leaving the ruling in force
What the court found
The court held that the executive acted unlawfully by failing to secure the funds needed to meet payment obligations that were set by enforceable titles. It also noted that those obligations had been recognised in normative acts the government itself adopted to spread the payments over time. The lawsuit concerns back pay created by salary increases that were ordered retroactively in court rulings.
Amount in dispute
The two reports do not agree on the sum. Digi24 says the government will have to pay about 1 million euros. ProTV's headline refers to 1 billion euros, while the body of its article gives the stake of the case as about 5 billion lei. Both outlets describe the same appeal, and neither report settles the figure.
Deadlines and penalties
The Bucharest decision, upheld by the high court, requires the executive to carry out the ruling within ten days of it becoming final. If the government and the Ministry of Finance fail to comply, they risk a penalty of 1% per day on the amount owed. They also face a fine of 20% of the gross minimum wage in the economy for each day of delay. ProTV reports that the Bucharest court's decision also allows payment through a budget rectification.
