After a summary examination of the regulations and of the doctrine regarding the institution of civil nullities, the author illustrates the uncertainties produced by some special norms that establish absolute nullities for the violation of some imperative norms of protection for some categories delimited by subjects; it is concluded – starting from the principles – and with exemplification of jurisprudence – that such express nullities produce only some effects of absolute nullity and that the legal regime of absolute nullities does not always apply, in its entirety, as a whole. The presented legal construction offers the opportunity to observe the acute need for prejudicial procedures at the disposal of those who have to make decisions for the application of rules that produce legal uncertainty.

În cele ce urmează, vom comenta două hotărâri ale Curții de Justiție a Uniunii Europene, ambele pronunțate în materia dreptului la liberă circulație și, respectiv, a securității sociale, în cadrul procedurii chestiunii preliminare.

Potrivit prevederilor art. 60 alin. (1) lit. c) din Codul muncii și art. 21 alin. (1) lit. a) din Ordonanța de urgență a Guvernului nr. 96/2003, interdicția temporară de concediere a salariatei gravide se aplică numai în situația în care angajatorul avea cunoștință la data emiterii deciziei de concediere despre starea de graviditate a salariatei concediate. Deși art. 272 din Codul muncii prevede că sarcina probei în litigiile de muncă revine angajatorului, dovada faptului pozitiv al informării prealabile cade în sarcina salariatei gravide care contestă faptul negativ invocat de angajator că nu a luat cunoștință de starea de graviditate anterior concedierii.

The following study has as research and reflection theme the influence of force majeure on labour relations, determined, in particular, by the legal norms specially adopted in the context of the existence of the pandemic caused by the spread of the SARS-COV-2 coronavirus. There are defined the force majeure, and its specificity is presented, taking into account the regulation of the Civil Code [Article 1351 (2)], as well as relevant doctrinal theories. Next, what is the essence of this stage, there are presented and analyzed the consequences of force majeure, especially consisting of the afore-mentioned pandemic, namely with regard to: forced labour, employment in public institutions and authorities, duration of labour relation, individualized work schedules and overtime work, change of place and type of work, suspension of labour relations, notice periods, patrimonial liability, collective labour agreements and labour disputes. The study ends with the conclusions on the analyzed problems.

European democratic societies have shown, in recent years, an increased interest in reforming justice, the aim being to make more efficient the process of administration thereof. Likewise the efficiency of justice is a complex and continuous process which involves, among other things, guaranteeing the quality of the judicial decision and resolving the cases within a reasonable time. Within the present approach the author made a radiography of the most important reforms initiated and partially carried out in France, Italy and Spain. The investigation carried out has led to the conclusion of the existence of some common regulatory trends, but also to the existence of some different solutions. Common trends have been identified in terms of judicial organization, distinguishing itself a process of concentration of jurisdictions and of specialization thereof. The most significant example from this point of view is that of France, a country where a recent reform has led to the merger of the courts with the high courts. The courts resulting from this concentration are called judicial courts. In Spain, the justice reforms were initiated in 2001 following the conclusion of a „State Agreement” between the Government, the People’s Party and the Socialist Party. In Italy in recent years it was undertaken a reform which led to the increase in the competence of justices of the peace. In all the mentioned states there was also a marked tendency towards making more efficient the alternative ways of resolving the conflicts. Different procedural and judicial options were found regarding the composition of the superior councils of the magistracy, the organization of judicial inspections and the organization of the Public Ministry. Such options take into account the particularities of each judicial system, which excludes a total uniformity and are part of the democratic processes aimed at consolidating the state of law.

The national system of public administration is subject to the impact of the medical-sanitary crisis in various forms, on all levels of organization, being additionally responsible and obliged to identify solutions of a normative and administrative nature. One of the important negative effects generated by the current medical-sanitary crisis is the impossibility of the administration to ensure the continuity of activities whose realization is conditioned by administrative authorization, by extension/renewal of authorizations, approvals, agreements, etc., making use of some acts during the validity period, in the sense of giving them the effects provided by law, or the exercise of some personal rights, on the basis of some documents (such as identity documents) when they are in the period of validity. The lack of an infralegal normative framework, of secondary regulation, establishing the scope of the documents the validity of which is extended during and beyond the cessation of special states of emergency and of alert and the conditions in which the prorogation of validity operates, leads to a non-unitary application of the normative act of primary regulation, which includes a general formulation, and inevitably at an additional pressure on the specialized administrative contentious courts, which will be notified either by their holders/beneficiaries, or by third parties whose rights and legitimate interests are harmed.