Înalta Curte de Casaţie şi Justiţie (High Court of Cassation and Justice of Romania)

Ms Lia Savonea
President of the High Court of Cassation and Justice

President since: 1 August 2025
Member of the High Court of Cassation and Justice since: 2023

Biography and career:

Ms Lia Savonea took office as President of the High Court of Cassation and Justice of Romania on 1 August 2025, for a term of three years. 
She is a graduate of the Faculty of Law, University of Bucharest (1996) and holds a Ph.D. in Criminal Procedural Law from Nicolae Titulescu University of Bucharest.
President Savonea began her judicial career in 1996 at the Court of First Instance of District 6 in Bucharest. Between 2001 and 2003, she served as President of this court, before being promoted to the Bucharest Tribunal, where she led the First Criminal Chamber from 2003 to 2008. In 2008, she was promoted to the Bucharest Court of Appeal, Second Criminal Chamber, where she subsequently held key leadership roles, including vice-president and acting president of the court. From 2012 to 2023, she served as President of the Bucharest Court of Appeal. 
Concurrently, Ms Savonea was a member of the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) in its previous composition during 2017–2023, holding the position of President of the Council in 2019.
In June 2023, she was promoted to judge of the Criminal Chamber of the High Court of Cassation and Justice. 
In addition to her judicial and managerial responsibilities, President Savonea has contributed to legal education and institutional development. She has provided training at the National School of Court Clerks and has been actively involved in numerous projects, working groups, and commissions within the judiciary. She is also co-author of several collections of judicial practice in criminal law.