Over 130 national experts shared their expertise, resources, examples of good practice, proposals, and initiatives at the National Conference on Family Law – Violence in Family Relationships (2nd edition), organized by Wolters Kluwer Romania, in partnership with the Faculty of Law of the University of Bucharest, the National Institute of Magistracy, and with the support of the law firm STOICA & ASOCIAȚII, which has consistently promoted scientific debates in areas of vital interest to society.
The live broadcast of the conference was available free of charge on the legal documentation platform Sintact.ro for over 50,000 users and on the social media platforms of Wolters Kluwer Romania.
The event took place on October 16 at the Faculty of Law, University of Bucharest, Constantin Stoicescu Hall, and brought together university professors, judges, prosecutors, lawyers, police officers, representatives of NGOs working with victims of domestic violence, representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, representatives of Parliament, psychologists, and the leadership of the National Institute of Magistracy.
The event was opened by Prof. Emeritus Dr. Valeriu Stoica - Founding Partner, STOICA & ASSOCIATES, followed by a speech by Prosecutor General Alex Florin Florența, who emphasized the need for a change in mentality and confirmed the usefulness of scientific debates on the topic of violence in family relationships.
During the event, Judge Simona Camelia Marcu, Director of the National Institute of Magistracy, highlighted the institution's efforts to organize professional training for magistrates and auditors and the need for scientific debates on such topics of social interest. Judge Grațiela Milu, representative of the judges in the SCM, took the floor and reiterated the institution's support for the continuation of these debates among professionals involved in resolving domestic violence cases. Judge Grațiela Milu, representative of the judges in the SCM, took the floor and reiterated the institution's support for continuing these debates among professionals involved in resolving this category of disputes, which are of interest to society as a whole. Ms. Andra-Roxana Trandafir, Associate Professor and Vice Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Bucharest, emphasized the importance of such debates in society and the support of the faculty's management and teaching staff in finding legal solutions of interest to society as a whole. The debates also benefited from substantial scientific support.
The debates also benefited from substantial scientific support. During the first panel, magistrates, INM trainers, and academics from the Department of Criminal Law of the Faculty of Law at the University of Bucharest debated key issues related to domestic violence and abuse within the family, emphasizing the need for firm institutional intervention and a coherent criminal policy.
Among the topics discussed were: Prioritizing domestic violence in criminal policy – Prof. Cristina Rotaru-Radu, PhD; Lessons from the N.D. v. Switzerland case on risk assessment – Judge Beatrice Ramașcanu, PhD, and Judge Ionuț Vișinescu; Factors influencing the disclosure of child sexual abuse – Prosecutor Marian Trușcă; The family as a space of vulnerability: the relationship between blackmail and rape crimes committed against family members – Associate Professor Andra-Roxana Trandafir, PhD, and Assistant Professor Valentina Dinu-Stăncescu, PhD. The panel provided a framework for interdisciplinary reflection, contributing to the strengthening of dialogue between legal and academic professionals.
The debate then continued with an extremely interesting topic, "Protection orders – between the protection of fundamental rights and the institutional response," which generated a valuable interdisciplinary dialogue between magistrates, lawyers, and psychologists on the application and effectiveness of protection orders in cases of domestic violence. The discussions focused on complex legal and procedural issues concerning: (i) the interpretation of the concept of domestic violence (physical vs. psychological); (ii) situations in which minors are victims or witnesses of domestic violence; (iii) the definition of imminent risk; (iv) the use of electronic surveillance devices; (v) the role of psychological counseling as a means of prevention and family reintegration; (vi) procedural difficulties in applying protection orders; (vii) a comparative analysis of the scope of Law No. 217/2003 and Law No. 26/2024; and, last but not least, the role of psychological assessment in domestic violence cases, and, in particular, how the court sets the objectives of the expert assessment.
Special thanks to the moderators of this panel, Ms. Cătălina Dicu, Senior Partner, STOICA & ASOCIAȚII, and Mr. Ioan Ilieș Neamț, INM trainer, who succeeded in challenging the guests and highlighting the legislative gaps and problems encountered in judicial practice.
We would also like to thank the speakers for their extremely valuable contributions: Judge Cristina Raluca Radu, psychologist Ana Cristina Predescu, and lawyer Valentina Elena Preda, Partner at STOICA & ASOCIAȚII. The panel highlighted the importance of collaboration between legal professionals and psychologists for the effective protection of victims and the strengthening of the institutional response.
By organizing this conference, together with the National Institute of Magistracy and the Faculty of Law of the University of Bucharest, we wish to continue the tradition of bringing together experts and professionals for valuable exchanges of experience.
Given the success of this edition, the organizers wish to keep this platform for debate open and propose to organize a new edition every year to assess the impact of legislation on judicial practice.
The debates from this edition of the conference can be viewed by accessing the following link: https://info.wolterskluwer.ro/conferinta-nationala-de-dreptul-familiei-2025/
Established in 1995, STOICA & ASOCIAȚII has gained national and international recognition in the legal and business world through its legal assistance and representation of a vast portfolio of clients. Since its inception, the lawyers at STOICA & ASOCIAȚII have proven themselves to be a strong team, founded on respect for its principles: Fidelitas, Integritas, Fortitudo. STOICA & ASOCIAȚII has earned an excellent national and international reputation. Its professional achievements are recognized in the most important legal guides: Chambers Europe, Legal 500, WTR 1000, IAM Patent 1000.
