Nicolae Popa (1 September 1939 – 26 November 2024) was a Romanian judge, the president of the High Court of Cassation and Justice from 2004 to 2009.
Beginning in 1960, he taught in the same faculty, becoming a professor of general legal theory and judicial sociology in 1975.
He served in that capacity until 1996, when he was named to the Constitutional Court of Romania in order to fill the unexpired term of Ioan Deleanu.
On 12 July 2004, Iliescu named him president of the High Court of Cassation and Justice, despite Popa not having the 18 years' experience as a judge required by law; he took the oath of office two days later.
[1] He remained in office until 14 September 2009, departing before his six-year term expired due to his having reached the mandatory retirement age of 70.