Parliament held a debate on the draft laws for the judicial and prosecutorial service - a debate in which government and opposition ended up on the same side on just one thing: that the laws, as they stand, are no good.

Some of those taking part are demanding the proposals be withdrawn and drafted anew, warning even of a possible general strike in the judiciary if nothing changes. The criticism was sharp: "Laws like these punish and silence those working in the judiciary," was one of the messages aimed at the bill's authors.

When laws for the courts and prosecution provoke resistance even from those meant to enforce them, that's a signal you can't ignore. Judicial reforms have been billed for years as key to the country's European path - but a reform that frightens the very judges and prosecutors is not a reform, it's something else.

The question that remains is whom these laws serve. If the goal is an independent judiciary, why are those inside it afraid? And if the real message is "be quiet and listen," then the word reform is just a polite cover over something much older - an attempt by those in power to keep a hand over the very people who are supposed to judge them. The debate is over, the laws remain on the table - and that's exactly where we'll see whether the criticism meant anything.