ANOUNCEMENT on the hearing of SCM candidate Tatiana Chiriac
On Tuesday, November 28, at 4:00 PM, the Pre-Vetting Commission will conduct the repeated hearing of Tatiana CHIRIAC, a candidate for the membership in the Superior Council of Magistracy from the non-judicial candidates with professional experience in law or other relevant field. The interview will be public and conducted online via the ZOOM platform. The hearing is part of the resumed evaluation procedure of the candidate, ordered by the Supreme Court of Justice that admitted its appeal. Those wishing to participate are requested to notify the Commission's Secretariat in advance at the email address secretariat@vetting.md by Tuesday, November 28, 2023, at 10:00 AM, to receive the link for connecting to the session. In the notification, the name and surname of the participant as well as the organization she/he represents (if relevant) will be provided mandatory. IMPORTANT: Throughout the hearing, participants from civil society, the media, and the general public will not be allowed to record videos, take photographs, or raise questions to the candidate or Commission members. Failure to comply with these rules will result in removal from the ZOOM meeting. After the conclusion of the hearing, video recordings in Romanian and English will be published on the Commission's website www.vetting.md and the YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@comisia.prevetting .
ANOUNCEMENT on the hearing of SCM candidate Angela Bostan
On Thursday, November 23, at 4:00 PM, the Pre-Vetting Commission will conduct the repeated hearing of judge Angela Bostan from the Chișinău Court of Appeal, who is a candidate for the membership in the Superior Council of Magistracy. The interview will be public and conducted online via the ZOOM platform. The hearing is part of the resumed evaluation procedure of the candidate, ordered by the Supreme Court of Justice that admitted its appeal. Those wishing to participate are requested to notify the Commission's Secretariat in advance at the email address secretariat@vetting.md by Thursday, November 23, 2023, at 10:00 AM, to receive the link for connecting to the session. In the notification, the name and surname of the participant as well as the organization she/he represents (if relevant) will be provided mandatory. IMPORTANT: Throughout the hearing, participants from civil society, the media, and the general public will not be allowed to record videos, take photographs, or raise questions to the candidate or Commission members. Failure to comply with these rules will result in removal from the ZOOM meeting. After the conclusion of the hearing, video recordings in Romanian and English will be published on the Commission's website www.vetting.md and the YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@comisia.prevetting
Public interviews in the context of the resumed evaluation: Three SCP candidates will be interviewed by the Pre-Vetting Commission
The Pre-Vetting Commission announces the commencement of public hearings in the context of the resumed evaluation procedure, following the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) accepting the challenges of certain candidates for the position of members in the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM) and the Superior Council of Prosecutors (SCP). Therefore, on November 1 and 2, 2023, three SCP candidates will be interviewed as follows: Anatolie Gîrbu: 4:00 PM (Wednesday, November 1) Cristina Gladcov: 2:00 PM (Thursday, November 2) Vitalie Codreanu: 4:00 PM (Thursday, November 2) The hearings will be public and will take place at the National Institute of Justice, Room 108 (Alexandru Ion Cuza) (1 M. Kogălniceanu Street, corner of Serghei Lazo Street), and will be conducted in a hybrid format through the Zoom platform. Those wishing to participate are requested to notify the Commission's Secretariat in advance at secretariat@vetting.md by Wednesday, November 1, at 12:00 PM, in order to receive the link to connect to the session. Participants from civil society, the media, and the general public will not be able to ask questions to the candidates or the Commission members throughout the entire duration of the hearings. Additionally, recording, live streaming from the hearing room, and photography during the sessions...
Statement regarding the resignation of Commission member Vitalie Miron
The Pre-Vetting Commission has taken note of the resignation of one of its members, Vitalie Miron, on 6 October 2023. The Commission will continue its work in accordance with the provisions of Law No. 26/2022 on measures related to the selection of candidates for the positions of members in the self-administration bodies of judges and prosecutors, which explicitly grant the Commission the authority to continue its activity. The resignation of Vitalie Miron does not impede the Commission's ability to fulfill its responsibilities. In accordance with art. 11 para. (2) of Law No. 26/2022, meetings of the Commission will be held with the presence of at least 4 members. In accordance with art. 13 para. (3) of this Law, decisions of the Commission will be adopted by a majority vote of participating members.
Government candidate for SCP membership, Radu Mîrza, withdrew from competition
The Pre-Vetting Commission informs about the withdrawal from the competition of the Government's candidate for the position of member in the Superior Council of Prosecutors (SCP) representing civil society, Radu Mîrza. The withdrawal has resulted in failing the evaluation by the candidate, in accordance with the provisions of Art. 13, para. (1) of Law No. 26/2022. The Commission's decision has been communicated to both candidate Radu Mîrza and the Government, the institution responsible for organizing the competition in this case. Information regarding the evaluation outcome has been published on the Commission's website. If the candidate does not notify the Commission of his refusal to publish the decision within the next 48 hours, the decision will be posted on Commission’s website in a depersonalized form. The candidate is entitled to appeal the evaluation decision within 5 days from receiving it. According to Law No. 26/2022 on measures related to the selection of candidates for the positions of members in the self-administration bodies of judges and prosecutors, the withdrawal of a candidate from the competition after the institution in charge of organizing the elections or the competition, as appropriate, submit the lists of candidates to the Evaluation Commission, is equivalent to failing the evaluation...
Public statement related to SCM member, Iulian Muntean
Recent media reports have stated that Iulian Muntean, a candidate for the Superior Council of Magistracy who passed the pre-vetting evaluation on 14 August 2023 and was appointed by Parliament to the Superior Council of Magistracy on 7 September 2023, has been the defendant in criminal proceedings involving corruption since 2019. The Independent Evaluation Commission for assessing the integrity of candidates for the position of member in the self-administration bodies of judges and prosecutors (“Commission”) hereby provides the following information:At no time during the evaluation process was the Commission made aware of any criminal complaints, investigations or proceedings involving Iulian Muntean. The Commission collects information from numerous sources in order to assess the candidate’s financial and ethical integrity, including e.g. the National Anti-Corruption Center and the Security and Intelligence Service of Moldova. In information provided to the Commission no reference has been made to criminal investigations or charges regarding the candidate. It was publicly known that Iulian Muntean was on the list of candidates for the Superior Council of Magistracy. Nothing prevented the National Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office or any other public institution or private individual from informing the Commission at that time of pending proceedings involving the candidate. The Anti-Corruption Prosecution Office...
The Pre-Vetting Commission initiates the integrity evaluation of civil society representatives selected by the Government for a position in the SCP
Two civil society representatives, chosen by the Government to fill a vacant position in the Superior Council of Prosecutors (SCP), will undergo the evaluation of the Pre-Vetting Commission in the coming period. These candidates are Radu MÎRZA, expert in justice, rule of law and human rights, and Mihail SORBALO, university lecturer in Public Law at the Faculty of Law at ULIM. Today, the Commission has provided the candidates with the 5-year Declaration form. The completed Declaration, along with any additional documents as required, should be returned to the Commission via email by September 20, 2023. The 5-year Declaration is a document that includes information on the candidates’ personal assets and interests, as well as the list of close persons in the judiciary, prosecution and public service, as stipulated in Article 9, paragraph (2) of Law no. 26/2022 on some measures related to the selection of candidates for the position of member in the self-administration bodies of judges and prosecutors. If the candidates were not previously subjects of declaration under Law No. 133/2016 shall complete declarations for each of the last five years (period 2018 - 2022) for which an annual declaration was not submitted. Upon receiving the declarations, the Pre-Vetting Commission...
Pre-Vetting Commission resumes evaluation process for 21 candidates following the findings of the Supreme Court of Justice
The Evaluation Commission for assessing the integrity of candidates for the position of member in the self-administration bodies of judges and prosecutors (Pre-Vetting Commission) announces the commencement of the resumed evaluation for 21 candidates to the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM) and Superior Council of Prosecutors (SCP), following the decisions of the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) issued on 1st of August, 2023. The Pre-Vetting Commission has formally notified today the 21 candidates regarding the resumption of the evaluation procedure, based on Article 14 paragraph (10) of Law No. 26/2022 and the SCJ conclusions. Pursuant to the decisions of the Supreme Court of Justice and based on a thorough examination, the Evaluation Commission has introduced a number of amendments to its Rules of Procedure, specifically adjusted to meet the requirements of the new process. Thus, to address issues raised by the SCJ, as part of the resumed evaluation process, the Commission may collect additional information and send further questions and requests for documents to candidates. Candidates may also present additional evidence under certain circumstances. If issues concerning a candidate are not thereby resolved, the candidate will receive a statement of facts and serious doubts that remain pending. Candidates can respond in...
The last decisions on the evaluation of non-judge candidates to the SCM from group II submitted by the Parliament
The Pre-Vetting Commission announces that it has concluded the evaluation of the second group of non-judicial candidates submitted by the Parliament for membership in the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM) and has sent the last decisions. According to the Commission, candidate Leonid Chirtoaca met the integrity criteria and passed the evaluation. Candidate Nicolae Agachi did not meet the integrity criteria and thus failed the evaluation. Details of the outcome of the assessment are contained in the reasoned decisions, which will be disclosed only with the candidates’ consent. The two candidates shall notify the Commission whether they accept or object to the publication of the decisions within 48 hours. In the absence of notification, the decisions will be published on the Commission’s website in a depersonalized form, in both Romanian and English. According to the provisions of Law No 26/2022, any decision may be appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice within 5 days of receipt. Out of nine candidates with professional experience in the field of law or in another relevant field, included in the list sent to the Commission by the Parliamentary Legal, Appointments and Immunities Committee on 5 May 2023, eight were subject to the complete evaluation process in order to...
One more SCM candidate, from among non-judges, passed the Pre-Vetting Commission evaluation
The Pre-Vetting Commission announces the result of the evaluation regarding the candidate for the SCM membership, from among non-judges, Lucia Popescu. According to the Commission, the candidate meets the criteria of financial and ethical integrity, thus passing the evaluation. The passing decision was sent today to the candidate and the Parliament, which is the institution responsible for organizing the competition, in this case. Lucia Popescu is to notify the Commission whether or not she opposes the publication of the decision within 48 hours of receipt, according to the provisions of Law no. 26/2022. The decision will be posted on the website of the Commission, in a depersonalized form, in Romanian and English, only with the consent of the candidate. The decisions of the Evaluation Commission may be appealed within 5 days from the date of receipt, without following the preliminary procedure. Lucia Popescu is a candidate from the second group of non-judges, nominated by the Parliament for the position of member in the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM), after being selected by the Legal, Appointments and Immunities Committee within a public competition. She was publicly interviewed by the Pre-Vetting Commission on July 19. Here is the video record of the interview https://youtu.be/SyM4iIanhQA Out...
The decisions of the Evaluation Commission regarding the integrity of five non-judge candidates to the CSM
The Pre-Vetting Commission announces the outcome of the evaluation of five non-judges from the second group of non-judicial candidates, nominated by the Parliament for the position of member in the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM). According to the Commission, Aliona Corcenco, Veaceslav Guțan, Vitalie Sîli and Iulian Muntean meet the criteria of financial and ethical integrity and pass the evaluation, while candidate Ana Tipa fails the evaluation. Detailed information about the evaluation is contained in the decisions sent today to the candidates and the institution responsible for organizing the elections or contest, in this case the Parliament. At this stage, the Commission is only entitled to communicate information on the outcome of the evaluation, as decisions can only be published with the consent of the candidates concerned. They shall notify the Commission whether or not they oppose the publication within 48 hours after the receipt of ng the decision, in accordance g to the Law No. 26/2022. Under the Evaluation Rules, the decisions in depersonalized form will be posted on the Commission's website in English and Romanian. Decisions may be appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice within 5 days from the receipt, under the provisions of the same law. At the end...
Preliminary data on the extraordinary evaluation of SCM and SCP candidates after 90 % of the decisions were issued by the Pre-Vetting Commission
A total number of 67 candidates for positions in the self-administration bodies of judges and prosecutors participated in the extraordinary evaluation process conducted by the Pre-Vetting Commission in order to establish their eligibility for becoming a member of the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM) or the Superior Council of Prosecutors (SCP). So far, the Commission completed the evaluation of 59 candidates out of 67: almost 90% of the decisions are issued, decisions on applicants from the last group of candidates to SCM, submitted by the Parliament remaining pending. The Commission assessed the financial and ethical integrity of: * 28 judges; * 17 prosecutors; * 22 representatives of civil society with professional experience in the field of law or other relevant field, as follows: 21 non-judge candidates to SCM, submitted by the Parliament on 9 July 2022 and 5 May 2023 and one non-prosecutor candidate, proposed by the Academy of Sciences to the position of member of the SCP. Out of a total of 67 candidates, 36% (24 candidates) were women and 64% (43 candidates) were men. Out of the total of 67 evaluated candidates, 52 went through the full pre-vetting process, representing 79% of candidates. Of the 59 candidates whose evaluation is currently completed, 16...
Pre-Vetting: Evaluation of candidates for positions in the Superior Council of Prosecutors, in NUMBERS
The Pre-Vetting Commission completed the extraordinary evaluation of the 18 candidates who enrolled in the competition for membership in the main self-administration body of prosecutors – the Superior Council of Prosecutors (SCP). 17 prosecutors from the General Prosecutor’s Office, territorial and specialized prosecutor’s offices and one non-prosecutor, representative of civil society proposed by the Academy of Sciences, were evaluated. Following the checks of their financial and ethical integrity, the Pre-Vetting Commission issued eight decisions passing candidates and ten decisions failing candidates. Among the ten failing decisions, three involved candidates who withdrew from the competition, one decision involved a failure to submit the 5-year Declaration within the time limit established by law, and six candidates failed following the full evaluation process. Therefore, the results indicate a 41% pass rate among prosecutors, and the only candidate from civil society submitted by the Academy of Sciences also passed the evaluation. All candidates who met the criteria of ethical and financial integrity agreed to the publication of the Commission’s decision. Of the ten candidates who failed the evaluation, only five agreed to the publication of the Commission’s reasoned decision. All candidates except one chose to be present at the public hearings; the candidate who chose not...
Evaluation of the group II of non-judicial candidates to SCM – completed. The decisions on the outcome of the evaluation to follow
The Pre-Vetting Commission concluded the hearing of the second group of non-judicial candidates, nominated by the Parliament for the position of member in the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM). Eight candidates with professional experience in the field of law or in another relevant field, out of the nine registered in the competition, agreed to participate in the public interview and answered the questions of the Commission members to clarify some aspects relevant to the evaluation process. Therefore, between July 14-21, the Commission interviewed the candidates Aliona CORCENCO, Veaceslav GUȚAN, Vitalie SÎLI, Lucia POPESCU, Ana TIPA, Iulian MUNTEAN, Leonid CHIRTOACĂ and Nicolae AGACHI, while the candidate Vanu JEREGHI withdrew from the competition during the evaluation process. During the public hearings, the Commission members asked the candidates several rounds of questions, in order to clarify the ambiguities left after the written communication with them. Among the topics relevant to the evaluation process, touched upon by the members of the Commission at the hearings, there were mainly aspects of financial integrity, such as candidates’ lifestyle, failure to comply with the legal regime for the declaration of assets and personal interests, source of cash savings held by the candidates or their family members, under-estimated sale-purchase prices...
The calendar of the Pre-Vetting Commission’s hearings for 19 – 21 July 2023
The Pre-Vetting Commission announces that during 19 - 21 July, 2023, the last six candidates from the second group of non-judges nominated by the Parliament for the position of member of the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM), will be interviewed. The public hearings will take place as follows: Wednesday, 19 July, 2023 10:00 a.m. - Vitalie Sîli 11:30 a.m. - Lucia Popescu 2:00 p.m. - Ana Tipa Thursday, 20 July, 2023 1:00 p.m. - Iulian Muntean Friday, 21 July, 2023 10:00 a.m.- Leonid Chirtoaca 1:00 p.m. - Nicolae Agachi The hearings will be held in the premises of the National Institute of Justice, room 108 (Alexandru Ion Cuza) (M. Kogălniceanu street corner with Serghei Lazo street 1). Civil society, media representatives and the general public can participate by notifying the Commission Secretariat in advance at press@vettingmd.com. The Commission notes that live streaming, as well as taking pictures during the entire sessions is prohibited. The Secretariat of the Commission will provide interested journalists with photos during the hearings, and the recordings of the hearings will be placed on the website of the Commission www.vetting.md in the section Transparency -> Hearings and the YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@comisia.prevetting within 24 hours after the end of the hearings. Note: Following the decision of the Legal, Appointments and Immunities Committee of...
The non-judge candidate to the SCM, Vanu Jereghi, withdrew from the competition
The Pre-Vetting Commission informs that Vanu Jereghi, candidate for the position of member in the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM), withdrew from the competition, thus failing the evaluation, based on art. 13 para. (1) of Law no. 26/2022. The Commission's decision was sent to the candidate and to the Parliament, the institution responsible for organizing the contest in this case, and the information on the evaluation result was published on the Commission's web page. If the candidate does not notify the Commission that he opposes the publication of the decision within 48 hours, the reasoned decision will be placed on its web page, in a depersonalized form. The candidate is entitled to appeal the decision of the Commission within 5 days from receiving the decision. Vanu Jereghi is part of the second group of nine non-judges candidates, nominated by the Parliament to the position of member to the SCM. The eight candidates remaining in the competition are to be publicly interviewed by the Pre-Vetting Commission during the hearings scheduled for 14 - 21 July 2023.
The hearing of the new group of non-judge candidates to the SCM begins
The Pre-Vetting Commission will conduct, between July 14 and 21, 2023, the hearings of candidates from the new group of non-judges, nominated by the Parliament for the position of member in the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM). The interviews will start on Friday, July 14, with the hearing of Aliona Corcenco, at 10:00 a.m., and of Veaceslav Guțan, scheduled for 12:00 p.m., and will continue on July 19, 20 and 21.The exact time of the hearings will be announced additionally. The hearings will be held in the premises of the National Institute of Justice, room 108 (Alexandru Ion Cuza) (M. Kogălniceanu street corner with Serghei Lazo street 1). Civil society, media representatives and the general public can participate by notifying the Commission Secretariat in advance at press@vettingmd.com. The Commission notes that live streaming, as well as taking pictures during the entire sessions is prohibited. The Secretariat of the Commission will provide interested journalists with photos during the hearings, and the recordings of the hearings will be placed on the website of the Commission www.vetting.md in the section Transparency -> Hearings and the YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@comisia.prevetting within 24 hours after the end of the hearings. We recall that following the decision of the Legal, Appointments and Immunities Committee of 5 May 2023, the...
The last two decisions on candidates to SCP, sent to the candidates
The Pre-Vetting Commission concludes the evaluation of the group of candidates for the position of member in the Superior Council of Prosecutors (SCP) with the issuance of decisions on prosecutors Vasile Plevan and Gheorghe Graur. According to the Commission, the two candidates do not meet the criteria of financial and ethical integrity, and therefore do not pass the evaluation. The outcome of the evaluation is contained in the decisions sent today to the prosecutor candidates and to the SCP, the institution responsible for organizing the competition. Gheorghe Graur, prosecutor within the Chisinau Prosecutor's Office and Vasile Plevan, acting deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office, are to notify the Commission whether they accept or oppose to the publication of the decisions, within 48 hours from the receipt. In the absence of notification, the decisions will be published on the Commission’s website in a depersonalized form, in both Romanian and English. According to the provisions of Law No 26/2022, any decision may be appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice within 5 days of receipt. Eighteen candidates entered the competition for membership of the main self-governing body of prosecutors - the SCP. They were subject to an extraordinary evaluation, and following the...
The Pre-Vetting Commission’s decision on evaluation of candidates to the SCP, prosecutors Aliona Nesterov and Eduard Panea
The Pre-Vetting Commission announces that prosecutors, Aliona Nesterov and Eduard Panea, candidates to the Superior Council of Prosecutors (SCP), pass the evaluation. According to the Commission, the two contenders to positions in the main self-administration body of prosecutors meet the financial and ethical integrity criteria. The detailed information on the outcome of verification is included in the decisions sent to the candidates and to the SCP, the institution responsible for organizing the competition in this case. The candidates may accept or refuse publication of the decision, according to the provisions of Law No. 26/2022. If within 48 hours from the receipt of decision, they do not notify the Commission about their refusal to publish , the decisions will be posted on the Commission’s website in a depersonalized form. The decisions of the Evaluation Commission may be appealed within 5 days from the date of receipt, without following the preliminary procedure. Candidate Aliona Nesterov, deputy of the acting Prosecutor General, was interviewed during the first round of hearings and Eduard Panea, chief Prosecutor of the Leova Prosecutor's Office, during the second round of hearings held in May, 2023. During the public interviews, the Commission members asked the candidates specific questions related to their...
Four more candidates to SCP passed the evaluation of the Pre-Vetting Commission
The Pre-Vetting Commission has completed the evaluation of Mariana Cherpec, Iuri Lealin, Elena Roșior and Olesea Vîrlan, candidates to the Superior Council of Prosecutors (SCP). According to the Commission, the four prosecutors meet the integrity criteria and pass the evaluation. The decisions sent today to the candidates and to the SCP, the institution responsible for organizing the competition in this case, contain more detailed information on the outcome of the assessment. At this stage, the Commission is only entitled to communicate information on the outcome of the evaluation, as decisions can only be published with the consent of the candidates concerned. They must notify the Commission whether or not they object to publication within 48 hours after receiving the decision, according to Law 26/2022. Decisions may be appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice within 5 days from the receipt, under the provisions of the same law. Mariana Cherpec, prosecutor in the Prosecutors’ Office of Chișinău municipality and Iuri Lealin, prosecutor within the General Prosecutor’s Office, were interviewed by the Pre-Vetting Commission in the first round of hearings in order to become eligible for a position of member of the main self-administration body of prosecutors. The candidates Olesea Vîrlan, interim deputy chief...
Rodica Ciobanu – the second candidate to the SCP, who passed the evaluation of the Pre-Vetting Commission
The Pre-Vetting Commission announces the result of evaluation on two more candidates to the Superior Council of Prosecutors (SCP). According to the Commission, candidate nominated by the Academy of Sciences of Moldova to the SCP, Rodica Ciobanu, meets the criteria of financial and ethical integrity, thus passing the evaluation. As for the prosecutor Anatolie Gîrbu the Commission issued a decision on failing the evaluation. A detailed information relating to the integrity verification process is included in the decision sent to the candidates and to the Academy of Sciences of Moldova and SCP, the institutions responsible for organizing the competition in this case. Decisions of the Evaluation Commission may be appealed within 5 days from the date of receipt, without following the preliminary procedure. If within 48 hours from the receipt of decisions, the candidates do not inform the Commission that they oppose publication, the decisions will be posted on the Commission’s website in a depersonalized form. Only candidates who pass the evaluation of the Pre-Vetting Commission are eligible for membership in the SCP. Rodica Ciobanu, candidate nominated by the Academy of Sciences, was publicly interviewed by members of the Pre-Vetting Commission during the second round of hearings of SCP candidates, held at the...
The Pre-Vetting Commission’s decision on evaluation of candidate to the SCP, prosecutor Gheorghe Borș
The Pre-Vetting Commission announces the outcome of the evaluation of the candidate to the Superior Council of Prosecutors (SCP), prosecutor Gheorghe Borș. According to the Commission, Gheorghe Borș failed the evaluation as he does not meet the financial and ethical integrity criteria. The detailed information on the outcome of evaluation is included in the decision sent to the candidate and to the SCP, the institution responsible for organizing the competition in this case. The candidate may accept or refuse the publication of the decision, according to the provisions of Law no. 26/2022. If within 48 hours from the receipt of decision, the candidate does not inform the Commission that he opposes to its publication, the decision will be posted on the Commission's website in a depersonalized form. The decision of the Evaluation Commission may be appealed within 5 days from the date of receipt, without following the preliminary procedure. The decision on failing the integrity evaluation is a legal basis for not admitting the candidate to the elections or competition. Only candidates who pass the evaluation of the Pre-Vetting Commission are eligible for membership in the SCP. Gheorghe Borș, prosecutor within the General Prosecutor’s Office, was publicly interviewed as candidate for membership in the...
Decisions on failing the evaluation by two candidates to SCP
The Pre-Vetting Commission has completed the evaluation of prosecutors Vitalie Codreanu and Cristina Gladcov and announces that the two candidates to the Superior Council of Prosecutors (SCP) failed the integrity evaluation. The decisions were sent to the candidates and to the institution responsible for organizing the competition, in this case the SCP. At this stage, the Commission is only entitled to communicate information on the outcome of the evaluation, as decisions can only be published with the consent of the candidates concerned. They must notify the Commission whether or not they object to publication within 48 hours after receiving the decision, according to Law 26/2022. Decisions may be appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice within 5 days from the receipt, under the provisions of the same law. Both Vitalie Codreanu and Cristina Gladcov, prosecutors within the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office, agreed to participate in the public hearing and were interviewed by the members of the Pre-Vetting Commission during the first round of hearings of the candidates to SCP. Note: Until his moment, out of the SCP candidates who went through the full vetting process, one candidate passed and two failed the evaluation. Four other candidates failed the evaluation on the grounds that they...
Preliminary data on the evaluation of candidates to SCP membership
The Pre-Vetting Commission has concluded the second and final round of public hearings of candidates for membership to the Superior Council of Prosecutors (SCP). Five prosecutor candidate and one civil society representative participated in the public interview to clarify aspects relevant to the evaluation process. Therefore, from 24 to 29 May 2023, the prosecutor candidates Gheorghe GRAUR (Chisinau Prosecutor's Office), Olesea VÎRLAN (Ialoveni Prosecutor's Office), Elena ROȘIOR (Anenii Noi Prosecutor's Office), Eduard PANEA (Leova Prosecutor's Office), Vasile PLEVAN (Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office) and Rodica CIOBANU, the candidate proposed by the Academy of Sciences, were interviewed. Among the relevant topics of the evaluation process, addressed by the members of the Commission during the hearings, were the source of the financial means used by the candidates to acquire goods and assets, the difference between the income earned and expenses incurred, as well as the non-disclosure of certain aspects in the declarations of assets and interests submitted to the National Integrity Authority. The Commission members also asked questions relating to the ethical integrity of the candidates, and these parts were examined in closed session, where there was a risk to harm the privacy of the candidate, his/her family members or other individuals involved. A total of...
Pre-Vetting Commission hearings schedule for May 24 – 26, 2023
The Pre-Vetting Commission announces the resumption of public hearings of the candidates for membership in the Superior Council of Prosecutors (SCP). Between May 24 - 26, 2023, five prosecutor candidates and one civil society representative, nominated by the Academy of Sciences, are expected to attend this round of hearings. The six candidates to SCP will be interviewed by the Pre-Vetting Commission members according to the following schedule: Wednesday, May 24, 2023 Gheorghe GRAUR (10 a.m.) Olesea VÎRLAN (1 p.m.) Thursday, May 25, 2023 Elena ROȘIOR (10 a.m.) Rodica CIOBANU (1 p.m.) Friday, May 26, 2023 Vasile PLEVAN (10 a.m.) Eduard PANEA (1 p.m.) The hearings will be held in the premises of the National Institute of Justice, room 108 (Alexandru Ion Cuza) (M. Kogălniceanu street corner with Serghei Lazo street 1). Civil society, media representatives and the general public can participate by notifying the Commission Secretariat in advance at press@vettingmd.com. Note: Filming, live streaming, as well as taking pictures during the entire sessions is prohibited. The Secretariat of the Commission will provide interested journalists with photos during the hearings, and the recordings of the hearings will be placed on the website of the Commission www.vetting.md in the section Transparency -> Hearings and the YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@comisia.prevetting within 24 hours after the end of the...
The Pre-Vetting Commission has started assessing the integrity of the new non-judicial candidates to SCM
The Pre-Vetting Commission has sent the 5-year Declaration form to the new non-judicial candidates for the Superior Council of Magistrates (SCM), thus initiating the evaluation procedure. The nine candidates declared eligible by the Parliament to participate in the competition are expected to return by e-mail the completed document, as well as any additional documents as appropriate, to the Commission within 7 days from the request, by May 25, 2023. The 5 -year declaration, pursuant to art. 9 para. (2) of the Law No. 26/2022 on some measures related to the selection of candidates for the position of member in the self-administration bodies of judges and prosecutors, includes information on the candidates’ personal assets and interests, as well as the list of close persons in the judiciary, prosecution and public service. Candidates who were not previously subjects of declaration under Law No. 133/2016 shall complete declarations for each of the last five years (period 2018-2022) for which an annual declaration was not filed. Following the receipt of the declarations from candidates, the Pre-Vetting Commission will analyze the income and assets of the candidates and their families on the basis of extensive research of relevant data collected from public information systems, accumulated from natural...
Pre-Vetting SCP: First decision of passing the evaluation
The Pre-Vetting Commission announces the result of the evaluation of Dumitru Obadă, candidate for the position of member of the Superior Council of Prosecutors (SCP). According to the Commission, Dumitru Obadă passes the evaluation, being compliant with the ethical and financial integrity criteria. The decision was sent today to the candidate and to the institution responsible for organizing the competition, in this case the SCP. The decision is published on Commission’s website www.vetting.md in a depersonalized form. Pursuant to art. 14 para. (1) of Law No. 26/2022, the candidate is entitled to appeal the decision within 5 days from receiving the decision. Dumitru Obadă was interviewed by the Pre-Vetting Commission on April 21, in the context of financial and ethical integrity evaluation of the candidates for the position of member in the self-administration body of prosecutors. Candidate currently holds the position of Government Agent of the Republic of Moldova at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), but maintains his status as a prosecutor and is entitled to run for a seat in the SCP
Evaluation of candidates to the PSC at the public hearings stage: Seven candidates were interviewed
From 21 to 28 April 2023, the Pre-Vetting Commission interviewed seven prosecutors in the first round of hearings of candidates for membership in the Superior Council of Prosecutors (PSC). The public hearings took place in the context of financial and ethical integrity evaluation of the candidates for the position of member in the self-administration body of prosecutors. During the hearings, candidate prosecutors Vitalie CODREANU and Cristina GLADCOV from the Anticorruption Prosecution Office, Aliona NESTEROV, Gheorghe BORȘ and Iuri LEALIN from the General Prosecutor's Office, Mariana CHERPEC from the Prosecutors’ Office of Chișinău municipality, and Dumitru OBADĂ, Government Agent of the Republic of Moldova at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), answered the questions of the members of the Commission in order to clarify some aspects relevant to the evaluation process. Candidate Anatolie GÎRBU requested to be evaluated solely on the basis of the material gathered by the Commission, deciding not to attend the public hearing. The Pre-Vetting Commission will announce the results of the evaluation process for the eight candidates in the forthcoming period. In accordance with the Law No. 26/2022 on some measures related to the selection of candidates for membership in the self-administrative bodies of judges and prosecutors and the...
Pre-Vetting SCP: Two prosecutor candidates withdrew from the competition, thus failing the Pre-Vetting Commission’s evaluation
The Pre-Vetting Commission announces that Aureliu Buzdugan, acting Chief Prosecutor of Anenii Noi District Prosecutor’s Office, and Remus Moroz, prosecutor in the Prosecutors’ Office of Chișinău municipality, Buiucani office, candidates for membership in the Superior Council of Prosecutors (SCP), failed the evaluation due to their withdrawal from the competition. The Commission's decisions were sent to the candidates and to the institution responsible for organizing the competition, in this case the Superior Council of Prosecutors. Decisions may be appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice within 5 days of receipt. The Commission will place the decisions on its website, in depersonalized form, unless candidates object to publication. 13 prosecutor candidates and one civil society representative, proposed by the Academy of Sciences, remained in the competition for membership of the PSC. They are being evaluated by the Pre-Vetting Commission on financial and ethical integrity. The hearing of candidates begins on Friday, April 21, 2023. Only those who pass the Commission's evaluation will be eligible for election to the new composition of the Superior Council of Prosecutors.
START hearings of the candidates for membership in CSP
The Independent Evaluation Commission for assessing the integrity of candidates for the position of member in the self-administration bodies of judges and prosecutors (Pre-Vetting Commission) announces the first round of hearings of candidates for membership in the Superior Council of Prosecutors (SCP), which will start on April 21st, 2023, and run until April 28th, 2023. CSP candidates who will be interviewed by the Pre-Vetting Commission as follows: Friday, April 21, 2023 Vitalie CODREANU (10:00) Dumitru OBADĂ (13:00) Tuesday, April 25, 2023 Mariana CHERPEC (13:00) Wednesday, April 26, 2023 Yuri LEALIN (15:00) Thursday, April 27, 2023 Aliona NESTEROV (14:00) Gheorghe BORȘ (16:00) Friday, April 28, 2023 Anatolie GÎRBU (10:00) Cristina GLADCOV (13:00) The hearings will be held in the premises of the National Institute of Justice, room 108 (Alexandru Ion Cuza) (M. Kogălniceanu street corner with Serghei Lazo street 1). Civil society, media representatives and the general public can participate by notifying the Commission Secretariat in advance at press@vettingmd.com. Note: Filming, live streaming, as well as taking pictures during the entire sessions is prohibited. The Secretariat of the Commission will provide interested journalists with photos during the hearings, and the recordings of the hearings will be placed on the website of the Commission www.vetting.md in the section Transparency -> Hearings and the YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@comisia.prevetting within 24...
A candidate for SCP membership withdrew from the competition, thus failing the Pre-Vetting Commission evaluation
The Pre-Vetting Commission announces that Cristina Robu, candidate for the position of member of the Superior Council of Prosecutors (SCP) and interim deputy to the Chief Prosecutor of the Anticorruption Prosecution Office, South office, failed the evaluation due to her withdrawal from the competition. The decision will be published on the websites of the Commission and the PSC, the institution responsible for organizing the competition, within 48 hours, unless the candidate notifies the Commission that she objects to publication. Cristina Robu may appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Justice within 5 days from the receipt, without prior procedure. There are 16 candidates remaining in the competition for membership for SCP, for which the Pre-Vetting Commission is conducting an assessment of financial and ethical integrity. Only those who pass the Commission's evaluation will be eligible for election to the new composition of the Superior Council of Prosecutors. 18 candidates applied for the SCP, including 17 prosecutors from the General Prosecutor's Office, territorial and specialized prosecutors' offices and one civil society representative proposed by the Academy of Sciences. The integrity checks cover a period of 15 years.
INFOGRAPHICS//Evaluation on the candidates for positions in the Superior Council of Magistracy, in figures
The Pre-Vetting Commission has completed the evaluation process for the 40 judicial and non-judicial candidates seeking to become eligible for membership of the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM). The evaluation process covered 28 judicial candidates, registered in the competition organized by the SCM, and 12 non-judicial candidates, admitted to the competition organized by the Parliament. However, 31 candidates completed the full evaluation process, while 9 candidates either withdrew from the competition or did not submit the documents required by law for the evaluation within the prescribed timeframe, which resulted in their failure to pass the evaluation. Out of the total 40 candidates, five judges and three non-judges passed the evaluation, which corresponds to a pass rate of 18% for judges and 25% for non-judges. Twenty-nine candidates participated in the public hearings conducted by the Pre-Vetting Commission. Two candidates requested to be evaluated without participating in a public hearing. Out of 32 decisions failing the candidate, 18 judicial and 4 non-judicial candidates appealed the decision to the SCJ. So far, two of the appeals have been resolved, with the decisions of the Pre-Vetting Commission upheld. More than 70% of candidates agreed to the publication of the Pre-Vetting Commission's decision. Most of the Commission’s decisions were...
Pre-Vetting: Evaluation of non-judicial candidates for the SCM – completed
The Pre-Vetting Commission announces that it has finalized the evaluation of the group of candidates proposed by the Parliament for positions in the SCM and has issued the last decision in this regard. According to the Commission, the non-judicial candidate Alexandru Rotari failed the evaluation. The conclusion is found in the decision sent today to the candidate and the Parliament, the institution responsible for organizing the competition. Alexandru Rotari is to notify the Commission whether he accepts or opposes to the publication of the decision within 48 hours from the receipt. In the absence of notification, the decision will be published on the Commission's website in a depersonalized form. According to the provisions of Law No 26/2022, any decision may be appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice within 5 days of receipt. 12 candidates with relevant professional experience in law, admitted to the competition by a decision of the Legal, Appointments and Immunities Committee of the Parliament went through the financial and ethical integrity evaluation process conducted by the Pre-Vetting Commission in order to become eligible to become member of the SCM. Following the evaluation of non-judicial candidates, the Commission issued three decisions of passing the evaluation and nine decisions of failing...
The Pre-Vetting Commission’s evaluation result for Tatiana Chiriac, non-judicial candidate for position in the SCM
The Pre-Vetting Commission announces that Tatiana Chiriac, non-judicial candidate for position in the SCM, failed the evaluation. The conclusion is found in the decision sent to the candidate and the Parliament, the institution responsible for organizing the competition in this case. Tatiana Chiriac can accept or oppose to the publication of decision, according to the provisions of Law No. 26/2022. The decision may also be appealed before the Supreme Court of Justice within 5 days from the date of receipt. So far, the Pre-Vetting Commission has issued decisions on seven candidates from the group of professionals with experience in law or other relevant field, submitted by the Parliament for positions in the SCM. Only candidates who pass the evaluation of the Pre-Vetting Commission are eligible for membership in the SCM.
The Pre-Vetting Commission’s decision on Stefan Belecciu’s candidacy for SCM
The Pre-Vetting Commission announces that Ștefan Belecciu, non-judicial candidate proposed by the Parliament for the position of member of the SCM failed the evaluation. The decision has been sent to the candidate and to the institution responsible for organizing the competition, in this case the Parliament. At the candidate's request, the decision will not be published. According to the provisions of Law No 26/2022, the decision may be appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice within 5 days from the date of receipt. We recall that Ștefan Belecciu requested to be evaluated without attending the public hearing. Six non-judicial candidates included in the list submitted by the Parliament to the Pre-Vetting Commission have received the result of the evaluation. Two other candidates from the same group will receive the Commission's decisions next days.
The Pre-Vetting Commission’s evaluation results for Valentin Caisîn and Angela Popil, non-judicial candidates for positions in the SCM
The Pre-Vetting Commission announces that two non-judicial candidates proposed by the Parliament for positions in the CSM, Valentin Caisîn and Angela Popil, failed the evaluation. The conclusion is found in the decisions sent to the candidates and the Parliament, the institution responsible for organizing the competition in this case. Valentin Caisîn and Angela Popil are to notify the Commission if they accept or oppose the publication of decisions, within 48 hours from the receipt. Otherwise, decisions will be published on the Commission's website after the deadline. According to the provisions of Law no. 26/2022, decisions may be appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice within 5 days from the date of receipt. The Pre-Vetting Commission has issued decisions on five non-judicial candidates, included in the list submitted by the Parliament to the Commission. Three candidates from the same category of professionals, with experience in law or other relevant field, are waiting for the Pre-Vetting Commission’s decisions, in order to become eligible for a position of member of the SCM. UPDATE: Valentin Caisîn and Angela Popil consent to publish the decisions of the Pre-Vetting Commission. Link to decisions: htps://vetting.md/en/decisions/
Alexandru Postica passed the Pre-Vetting Commission’s evaluation and accepted the publication of the decision
The Pre-Vetting Commission announces that Alexandru Postica, appointed by the Parliament for membership of the SCM, passed the evaluation. The candidate has accepted the publication of the decision, which can be found on the Commission's website and has also been forwarded to the institution responsible for organizing the competition, in this case Parliament. Link to Decisions: htps://vetting.md/en/decisions/ So far, three candidates for positions in the Superior Council of Magistracy, with professional experience in law or other relevant field, included in the list submitted to the Pre-Vetting Commission by the Parliament, have passed the evaluation. Four candidates did not pass the evaluation, as they withdrew from the competition or did not submit their 5-year declaration on time, and five other candidates are awaiting the decisions of the Pre-Vetting Commission in order to become eligible for a position in the SCM.
The Pre-Vetting Commission’s result on the evaluation of Tatiana Ciaglic and Ion Guzun, candidates for SCM proposed by the Parliament
The Pre-Vetting Commission announces that two candidates proposed by the Parliament for positions in the SCM, Tatiana Ciaglic and Ion Guzun, passed the evaluation. The Commission's decisions were sent to the candidates and the institution responsible for organizing the competition, in this case the Parliament. Tatiana Ciaglic and Ion Guzun notified the Commission about their approval to publish the decisions, which were placed on the Commission’s website. According to the provisions of Law no. 26/2022, any decision can be appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice, within 5 days from the date of receipt. Link to the Decisions: https://vetting.md/en/decisions/ We remind that at the end of last week, the Pre-Vetting Commission concluded the hearing of the non-judicial candidates for positions in the SCM, remained in the contest. Out of the 12 candidates with professional experience in the field of law or in another relevant field, included in the list of candidates submitted to the Commission by the Parliament, seven candidates participated in the hearings, as two withdrew from the competition, two others did not submit the 5 years declaration in time, thus not promoting the evaluation, and one candidate requested to be evaluated without participating in the hearings. Therefore, until now, two candidates have...
Seven non-judicial candidates for positions in the SCM were heard by the Pre-Vetting Commission. The decisions to follow
The Pre-Vetting Commission has concluded the stage of public hearings of non-judicial candidates for positions in the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM). Out of the 12 candidates with professional experience in the field of law or in another relevant field, included in the list of candidates submitted to the Commission by the Parliament, seven candidates participated in the hearings, as two withdrew from the competition, two other candidates did not submit in time the 5 years declaration, thus being disqualified, and one candidate requested to be evaluated without participating in the hearings. Therefore, between March 1st and 9th, in public sessions were heard Tatiana CHIRIAC, Tatiana CIAGLIC, Ion GUZUN, Angela POPIL, Valentin CAISÎN, Alexandru POSTICĂ and Alexandru ROTARI who answered the questions of the members of the Commission in order to clarify some aspects relevant to the evaluation process. According to Law nr. 26/2022 on some measures related to the selection of candidates for the position of member of the self-administration bodies of judges and prosecutors and the Evaluation Regulation, the video recordings from the hearings were published on the website of the Pre-Vetting Commission www.vetting.md and the Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@comisia.prevetting. In the next period, the Pre-Vetting Commission will work on drafting...
Pre-Vetting Commission starts the hearings of the non-judicial candidates for SCM
Between March 1 and 7, 2023, the Pre-Vetting Commission will hear the group of candidates submitted by the Parliament to the position of member of the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM). Eight candidates with professional experience in law or other relevant field will be interviewed. The following candidates will be heard in public on 1-3 March 2023: Wednesday, March 1st, 2023 Tatiana CHIRIAC (10:00) Tatiana CIAGLIC (14:00) Thursday, March 2nd, 2023 Ion GUZUN (14:00) Friday, March 3rd, 2023 Angela POPIL (14:00) The list of candidates to be heard on 6th and 7th of March, 2023 will be announced by the end of the week. The hearings take place in the context of the financial and ethical evaluation of the integrity of candidates for the position of member in the self-administration bodies of judges and prosecutors, in accordance with Law no. 26/2022 and will be held in the premises of the National Institute of Justice, room 108 (Alexandru Ion Cuza) (M. Kogălniceanu street corner with Serghei Lazo street 1). Civil society, media representatives and the general public can participate by notifying the Commission Secretariat in advance at press@vettingmd.com. Note: Filming, live streaming, as well as taking pictures during the entire sessions is prohibited. The Secretariat of the Commission will provide...
The decision on Ludmila Ouș is now public
Ludmila Ouș, non-judicial candidate for the position of member of the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM), accepted the publication of the decision of the Pre-Vetting Commission. The candidate withdrew from the competition, thus failing the evaluation. The decision will be published on the website of the Parliament and the Pre-Vetting Commission, in accordance with Article 13 para. (7) of the Law No. 26/2022. Decision: https://bit.ly/3XDM5jS Candidates may appeal against the Commission’s decision to the Supreme Court of Justice within 5 days of the date of receipt, without following the prior procedure. 12 non-judicial candidates with professional experience in the field of law or other relevant field have been submitted by the Parliament for membership of the Superior Council of Magistracy and are evaluated by the Pre-Vetting Commission on their financial and ethical integrity. So far, two candidates failed the evaluation because they did not submit their 5-year declaration on time, two others withdrew from the competition, thus failing the evaluation.
Evaluation of non-judicial candidates for the SCM: another candidate withdrew from the competition
The Pre-Vetting Commission announces that Ludmila Ouș, candidate for the position of member of the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM), from the list proposed by the Parliament, has withdrawn from the competition, thus failing the evaluation. The Commission's decision was sent to the candidate and to the institution responsible for organizing the competition, in this case Parliament. The decision can be appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice within 5 days of receipt. Ludmila Ouș has 48 hours to inform the Commission whether she accepts the publication of the reasoned decision. The Commission will publish the decision on its website if the candidate does not object to publication. 12 non-judicial candidates with professional experience in the field of law or other relevant field have been submitted by the Parliament for membership of the Superior Council of Magistracy and are evaluated by the Pre-Vetting Commission on their financial and ethical integrity. So far, two candidates failed the evaluation because they did not submit their 5-year declaration on time, two others withdrew from the competition, thus failing the evaluation.
The Pre-Vetting Commission’s decision on candidate for SCP Vasile Stoinov is now public
Vasile Stoinov, candidate for the position of member of the Superior Council of Prosecutors (SCP) and prosecutor in Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crimes and Special Cases, South Office, did not refused the publication of the Pre-Vetting Commission’s decision on his failure of evaluation based on the candidate’s failure to submit the 5-year declaration. The Commission’s evaluation decision will be publish on the web pages of the Commission and the CSP, the institution responsible for organizing the competition. Decision: http://bit.ly/3S8qgIb Candidates may appeal against the Commission's decision to the Supreme Court of Justice within 5 days of the date of receipt, without following the prior procedure. The Pre-Vetting Commission is conducting the evaluation of financial and ethical integrity of 17 candidates remained in the competition for membership in the SCP. Only those who pass the Commission's evaluation will be eligible to the new composition of the Superior Council of Prosecutors.
Evaluation of candidates for the CSP positions has begun. The first decision of the Pre-Vetting Commission
The Pre-Vetting Commission has started the evaluation of candidates for the positions of Superior Council of the Prosecutors (SCP) members. 18 candidates to the SCP, 17 prosecutors from the General Prosecutor's Office, territorial and specialized prosecutors' offices, but also a representative of the civil society, who is part of the selection process organized by the Academy of Sciences will be evaluated This process includes financial and ethical integrity evaluation for the period of 15 years. The Commission sent a request to the candidates to fill in and submit the Declaration of assets and personal interests for 5 years. The Declaration also includes a list of close persons in judiciary, among prosecutors and in public service, as required by the law. Failure to submit this information on time constitutes ground for the Commission to find that the candidates failed the evaluation. In this regard, Vasilie Stoinov, candidate for the position of member in the CSP and prosecutor at the Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases, the South Office did not submit the declaration and thus did not pass the evaluation. The decision was sent to the candidate and the institution responsible for organizing the selection process, in this case the Superior...
Pre-Vetting Commission publishes the decision on Judges Ion Chirtoacă, Marina Rusu and Alexei Paniș along with the dissenting opinions of a member of the Commission
The candidates for the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM), judges Ion Chirtoacă (Chișinău Court, Buiucani Office), Marina Rusu, (Cahul Court, Taraclia Office) and Alexei Paniș (Chișinău Court, Rîlcani Office) have accepted the publication of the reasoned decisions of the Pre-Vetting Commission. The three decisions of failing the evaluation were adopted by a majority of five members of the Commission. Commission member Vitalie Miron issued a dissenting opinion in each of the three cases, which were attached to the decisions. • Decision on the candidacy of Ion Chirtoacă https://bit.ly/3HMfMJF Dissenting opinion https://bit.ly/3jD7hsE • Decision on the candidacy of Marina Rusu https://bit.ly/3jHNyry Dissenting opinion https://bit.ly/3JQX9Hn • Decision on the candidacy of Alexei Paniș https://bit.ly/40H9WC9 Dissenting opinion https://bit.ly/3Yxn9eO The Commission’s decisions may be appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice within 5 days of receipt, without prior procedure, according to art. 14 para. (1) and (2) of Law No. 26/2022. 19 of the 28 judicial candidates running for the position of member in the SCM accepted the publication of the Commission's reasoned decisions and the dissenting opinions attached, depending on the case. The Pre-Vetting Commission has completed the evaluation of judicial candidates for the SCM with 5 decisions of passing and 23 decisions of failing of the evaluation....
Supreme Court of Justice upheld the Pre-Vetting Commission’s decision regarding judge Anatolie Țurcan
The Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) rejected, on 6 February 2023, the appeal filed by judge Anatolie Turcan against the decision of the Independent Evaluation Commission for assessing the integrity of candidates for the position of member in the self-administration bodies of judges and prosecutors (Pre-Vetting Commission). In this decision, the Pre-Vetting Commission held that serious doubts have been found in relation to judge Anatolie Turcan’s compliance with ethical and financial integrity criteria and thus he failed the evaluation. The SCJ upheld the Pre-Vetting Commission’s decision. The decision of the Supreme Court of Justice is irrevocable and cannot be appealed . This is the first decision of the SCJ reviewing the Pre-Vetting Commission’s decisions. The SCJ decision is public and can be consulted here (Romanian version): http://jurisprudenta.csj.md/search_col_civil.php?id=70713 By 6 February 2023, 11 judges running for the position of member in the SCM, and who are subject to the extraordinary evaluation by the Pre-Vetting Commission, had exercised their legal right to appeal the unfavorable decisions of the Evaluation Commission before the Supreme Court of Justice. These are magistrates Iurie Bejenaru, Anatolie Turcan, Vitalie Stratan, Angela Bostan, Vladislav Holban, Sergiu Osoianu, Ecaterina Buzu, Veronica Cupcea, Aliona Miron, Mihail Bușuleac, Nicolae Șova. Hearings in several...
Evaluation of the judicial candidates for the SCM – the last decisions of the Pre-Vetting Commission
The Pre-Vetting Commission announces the last results on the evaluation of candidates for the Superior Council of Magistrates (SCM) among career judges. According to the Commission, judges Ion Chirtoaca and Aureliu Postica, from the Chisinau Court, Buiucani Office, Marina Rusu from the Cahul Court, Taraclia Office, and Alexei Panis, from the Chisinau Court, Riscani Office, failed the evaluation. The conclusion is contained in the reasoned decisions, which were sent to the candidates today. Judicial candidates have 48 hours to notify the Commission Secretariat whether they object or not to the publication of the decisions. Otherwise, they will be posted on the websites of the SCM and the Pre-Vetting Commission in a depersonalized form, except for the surname and first name of the candidate that remain public. The Commission’s decisions may be appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice within 5 days of receipt, without prior procedure, according to art. 14 para. (1) and (2) of Law No. 26/2022. Note: The Pre-Vetting Commission has completed the evaluation of judicial candidates for the SCM with 5 decisions of promotion and 23 decisions of non-promotion of the evaluation. The five candidates who passed the evaluation are judges of the district courts. Candidates who failed the evaluation...
Judges Stanislav Sorbalo and Natalia Clevadî accepted the publication of the Pre-Vetting Commission’s decisions
Two other judges, candidates for positions in the SCM, accepted the publication of the Pre-Vetting Commission's decisions on their non-promotion of the evaluation. Stanislav Sorbalo, judge at the Balti Court, Head Office, ran for membership of the SCM and the Disciplinary Board of Judges and was heard by the Commission, while Natalia Clevadî, candidate for the SCM, requested to be evaluated without participating in the public interview. According to the reasoned decisions, the Commission concluded that the candidates do not meet the integrity criteria as serious doubts have been found. • Decision on the candidacy of Stanislav Sorbalo https://bit.ly/40pXiXY • Decision on the candidacy of Natalia Clevadî https://bit.ly/3x1ELni The Commission’s decisions may be appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice within 5 days of receipt, without prior procedure, according to art. 14 para. (1) and (2) of Law No. 26/2022.
Three more candidates for positions in the SCM failed the pre-vetting evaluation
The Pre-Vetting Commission announces the results on evaluation of judges Stanislav Sorbalo, from the Balti Court, Victor Sandu, from the Chisinau Court, Centre Office and Natalia Clevadî, from the Chișinau Court, Buiucani Office. According to the Commission, the three judges, candidates for positions in the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM), failed the evaluation. Judge Sorbalo is also running for membership of the Disciplinary Board of Judges. The result is included in the reasoned decisions, which have been sent to the candidates. If the candidates don’t notify the Commission of their refusal to publish the decisions within 48 hours after the decisions were sent, these will be posted on the website of the SCM and the Pre-Vetting Commission in a depersonalized form, except for the surname and first name of the candidate that remain public. The Commission members made their decisions based on information gathered in the evaluation process, including from written communication with candidates and from the hearings. It should be noted that candidate Natalia Clevadi requested to be evaluated without participating in the public interview. The Commission's decisions may be appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice within 5 days of receipt, without prior procedure, according to art. 14 para. (1) and...
Judges Aliona Miron and Veronica Cupcea do not oppose the publication of the decisions of the Pre-Vetting Commission
Two magistrates, candidates for membership in the SCM, Aliona Miron, from the Supreme Court of Justice, and Veronica Cupcea, from the Orhei Court, who received the results of the Pre-Vetting Commission's evaluation earlier this week, accepted the publication of the Commission's reasoned decisions. Following their notification that they do not object to publication, the decisions have been placed on the Commission's website in a depersonalized form and will be published on the website of the Superior Council of Magistracy. The candidates failed the evaluation. • Decision on the candidacy of Veronica Cupcea 🔗 https://bit.ly/3HR6kVJ • Decision on the candidacy of Aliona Miron 🔗 https://bit.ly/3YgsqHq 🔸 Pursuant to art. 14 para. (1) of Law No. 26/2022, the candidate is entitled to appeal this decision within 5 days from receiving the decision.
Result of the Pre-Vetting Commission on the evaluation of the four judicial candidates for positions in the SCM
Four candidates for the position of member of the SCM from among judges, magistrates Mihail Bușuleac from Cahul Court, Veronica Cupcea from Orhei Court, Aliona Miron from the Supreme Court of Justice and Nicolae Șova from Chisinau Court, have received the results of the Pre-Vetting Commission on the evaluation of their financial and ethical integrity. The four candidates failed the evaluation. The reasoned decisions were sent to the candidates and to the institution responsible for organizing the competition, the SCM. If within 48 hours of sending the decisions, the candidates do not notify the Commission of his or her refusal to publish the decision, the decision shall be published on the website of the Superior Council of Magistracy in a depersonalized form, except for the surname and first name of the candidate that remain public. The Commission's decisions may be appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice within 5 days of receipt, without prior procedure, according to Article 14(2). 1) and 2) of Law no. 26/2022. So far, 5 candidates for positions in the SCM out of the 23 remaining in the competition, have promoted the Commission’s evaluation in terms of integrity, 11 have been disqualified by not promoting the evaluation and can...
First decisions on non-judge candidates for SCM positions submitted by the Parliament
The Pre-Vetting Commission announces the decisions on three candidates with professional experience in law or another relevant field from the list submitted by the Parliament for membership in the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM). According to the Commission, the non-judge candidates Evgheni Florea, university professor at the State University of Comrat, and Ilie Mămăligă, lawyer, did not submit in time the declaration of assets and personal interests with updated data for the last 5 years (Declaration for 5 years) and/or the required annexes, which led to their non-promotion of evaluation. Candidate Fiodor Bria, lecturer at the Free International University, withdrew from the competition, thus failing the evaluation. In accordance with the legal procedure, the Commission's decisions were sent to the candidates and to the institution responsible for organizing the elections or the competition, in this case the Parliament. The decisions are subject to appeal and may be challenged by the candidates before the Supreme Court of Justice within 5 days of receipt. At the same time, the three non-judge candidates have 48 hours to notify the Commission whether they accept or oppose the publication of the reasoned decisions. We remind that 12 non-judge candidates, elected on the basis of a public competition, were...
Three judges accepted the publication of the Pre-Vetting Commission’s decisions
Three of the four judges who had received the result of the Pre-Vetting Commission’s assessment earlier this week accepted the publication of the substantiated decisions. Vasile Șchiopu, judge at the Ungheni Court and candidate for the CSM, and Sergiu Caraman, judge at the Criuleni Court and candidate for the SCM and in the Performance Evaluation Bourd, and Ecaterina Buzu, candidate for SCM and judge at the Orhei Court, notified the Commission of their agreement to publish the text of the decisions. Candidate Sergiu Osoianu, judge at the Straseni Court, used his legal right to refuse publication. The decisions were placed on the Commission’s website in a depersonalized form and will also be published on the website of the Superior Council of Magistracy. Decision on the candidacy of Sergiu Caraman https://bit.ly/3kLyYzB Decision on the candidacy of Ecaterina Buzu https://bit.ly/3XFzTQC Decision on the candidacy of Vasile Șchiopu https://bit.ly/3JiWyho Pursuant to art. 14 para. (1) of Law No. 26/2022 regarding some measures related to the selection of candidates for the position of member in the self-administration bodies of judges and prosecutors, the candidate is entitled to appeal this decision in the Supreme Court of Justice, within 5 days from receiving the decision. At this stage of assessment...
Decisions of the Pre-Vetting Commission on the integrity of four SCM candidates from among judges
The Pre-Vetting Commission announces the result of the evaluation regarding four candidates for the position of member of the SCM, from among the career judges. Two decisions of promotion and two of non-promotion of the integrity assessment were sent to the candidates concerned and to the institution responsible for organizing the competition. According to the Commission, Vasile Șchiopu, judge at the Ungheni Court and candidate for the CSM, and Sergiu Caraman, judge at the Criuleni Court and candidate for the SCM and in the Performance Evaluation Bourd of judges, meet the criteria of financial integrity and ethics, and thus, promote the evaluation. As for the candidates Sergiu Osoianu, judge at the Straseni Court, and Ecaterina Buzu, judge at the Orhei Court, the Commission decided that they do not promote the evaluation. If the candidates do not notify the Commission about their refusal to publish the decisions within 48 hours of their transmission, they will be published in full on the website of the SCM and on the Commission's website. According to art. 14 para. 1) and 2) of Law. 26/2022 on some measures related to the selection of candidates for the position of member of the self-administration bodies of judges and prosecutors, the...
START evaluation of the non-judges candidates for the position of member of the SCM, submitted by the Parliament
The Pre-Vetting Commission has started the evaluation procedure of the group of candidates submitted by the Parliament to the position of member of the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM). The list of the 12 non-judges, admitted to the competition by a decision of the Legal, Appointments and Immunities Committee of the Parliament, includes freelance lawyers, lawyers and representatives of civil society and the academic environment, who will go through the process of assessment of the financial and ethical integrity, in order to become eligible for a position of permanent member of the SCM. At first stage, the Evaluation Committee sent the candidates the declaration of assets and personal interests form for the last 5 years, to be completed, signed electronically and submitted to the Secretariat of the Commission within 7 days from the request. The declaration form will include both the information on the assets and personal interests of those who are running for the position of member of the SCM, as well as the list of close persons from the judicial system, the prosecutor's office and the public service. The failure to submit the statements in time constitutes a reason for the Commission to decide on non-promotion of the evaluation...
ANNOUNCEMENT! The Pre-Vetting Commission concludes the hearing of judicial candidates for positions in the CSM with magistrate Alexei Paniș
On Thursday, January 12, 2023, at 10:00, the Pre-Vetting Commission will hear, in public session, Alexei PANIȘ, magistrate from Chișinău Court, Rîșcani Oficce, and candidate for the position of member of the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM). Alexei Paniș will be the last candidate, among the career judges, who will be interviewed, as the candidate Natalia CLEVADÎ, judge at the Chisinau Court, Buiucani Office, requested to be evaluated without attending the hearing. The members of the Pre-Vetting Commission will take the decision on the candidate based on the information gathered in the evaluation process, including from the written communication with the candidate. The hearings of candidate Paniș will be held in the premises of the National Institute of Justice, room 108 (Alexandru Ion Cuza) (M. Kogălniceanu street corner with Serghei Lazo street 1). Civil society, media representatives and the general public may participate in the hearings by notifying the Secretariat of the Commission in advance at the press@vettingmd.com. The list of participants will be established according to the sequence of notifications received by the Secretariat. Only people registered in advance will have access to the room where the interviews will be conducted. We recall that filming, live streaming, as well as taking pictures...
Judges Angela Bostan and Iurie Bejenaru accepted the publication of the Pre-Vetting Commission’s decisions on their no-promotion of the evaluation
Judges Angela Bostan, from the Chisinau Court of Appeal, and Iurie Bejenaru, from the Supreme Court of Justice, candidates for position of member in the SCM, agreed that the reasoned decisions of the Pre-Vetting Commission regarding their non-promotion of the integrity evaluation to be made public. The decisions were published on the Commission's website, in an impersonal form (https://vetting.md/en/decisions/), and will also be published on the website of the Superior Council of Magistracy. In the case of Judge Angela Bostan, the member of the Commission, Vitale Miron, formulated a separate opinion from the other members, which was annexed to the decision. Contrary to the two judges, magistrates Anatolie Țurcan, from the Supreme Court of Justice, Vitalie Stratan, from the Chisinau Court, Head Office, and Vladislav Holban, from the Chisinau Court, Centru Office, notified the Pre-Vetting Commission of their refusal to publish the decisions. Pursuant to art. 14 para. (1) of Law No. 26/2022 regarding some measures related to the selection of candidates for the position of member in the self-administration bodies of judges and prosecutors, the candidate is entitled to appeal this decision in the Supreme Court of Justice, within 5 days from receiving the decision. Up to this moment, the Pre-Vetting Commission has...
Five judicial candidates for the position of member in the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM) failed the evaluation of the Pre-Vetting Commission
The Pre-Vetting Commission completed the evaluation process regarding five candidates for the position of member in the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM) from among career judges and sent its decisions to the candidates and the institution responsible for organizing the competition. The decisions concern magistrates Iurie Bejenaru and Anatolie Țurcan, from the Supreme Court of Justice, Vitalie Stratan, from the Chisinau Court, Head Office, Angela Bostan, from the Chisinau Court of Appeal, and Vladislav Holban, from the Chisinau Court, Centru Office, which, according to the Commission, do not meet the integrity criteria and fail the evaluation. The members of the Commission justified their decisions by finding serious doubts regarding the candidates' compliance with the principles of ethical and financial integrity. Pursuant to the new amendments to Law no. 26/2022 regarding some measures related to the selection of candidates for the position of member in the self-administration bodies of judges and prosecutors, after sending the substantiated decisions to the candidates and the SCM, the Pre-Vetting Commission publishes on its website www.vetting.md the information regarding the evaluation result. If within 48 hours of the transmission of the decision, the candidate does not notify the Commission of his refusal to publish the decision, it...
Six more judicial candidates for the position of membership in the SCM will be interviewed by the Pre-Vetting Commission between December 14-16, 2022
The Pre-Vetting Commission announces the schedule of public hearings for the period December 14-16, 2022 and invites representatives of the mass media, civil society, and the general public to participate, by prior e-mail notification of the Commission Secretariat at press@vettingmd.com. The hearings take place in the context of the financial and ethical evaluation of the integrity of candidates for the position of member in the self-administration bodies of judges and prosecutors, in accordance with Law no. 26/2022. Therefore, six judicial candidates for position of member in the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) were invited to the interview, as follows: Wednesday, December 14, 2022 Mihail BUȘULEAC, Cahul Court, Head Office (10:00 a.m.) Marina RUSU, Cahul Court, Taraclia Office (2:00 p.m.) Thursday, December 15, 2022 Ion CHIRTOACĂ, Chișinău Court, Buiucani Office (10:00 a.m.) Victor SANDU, Chișinău Court, Centru Office (12:30 p.m.) Friday, December 16, 2022 Veronica CUPCEA, Orhei Court, Head Office (10:00 a.m.) Aureliu POSTICĂ, Chișinău Court, Buiucani Office (2 p.m.) The hearings will be held in the premises of the National Institute of Justice, room 108 (Alexandru Ion Cuza) (M. Kogălniceanu street corner with Serghei Lazo street 1), and the list of participants will be established according to the sequence of notifications received by the Secretariat. Only people registered in advance will have...
Evaluation of the candidates for the position of member in SCM: Round 3 of hearings, six candidates interviewed
Six candidates for the position of member in the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM), were heard by the Pre-Vetting Commission, between November 30 and December 2, 2022. They are Aliona Miron from the Supreme Court of Justice, Stanislav Sorbalo from the Bălți District Court, Vasile Șchiopu from the Ungheni District Court, Sergiu Caraman from the Criuleni District Court, Nicolae Șova from the Chișinău District Court, Central Office and Ecaterina Buzu from the Orhei District Court. The hearings refered to the financial and ethical integrity of the judicial candidates based on the information obtained by the Commission from public and private sources, as well as the previous written communication with them. In particular, issues related to the origin of funds deposited in the bank accounts of the candidates and their family members, donations and loans from third parties were addressed, as well as the circumstances in which some of the interviewed magistrates purchased homes at preferential prices, in within the programs to improve living conditions for judges. The Commission's questions also referred to properties and accounts not reflected in the assets and interests declarations, as well as to the procurement of immovable and movable assets at below market prices. The entire process was...
Six more judicial candidates for position of member in the SCM will be heard by the Pre-Vetting Commission between November 30 – December 2, 2022
The Pre-Vetting Commission announces the schedule of public hearings for the period November 30 - December 2, 2022 and invites representatives of the mass media, civil society, and the general public to participate, by prior e-mail notification of the Commission Secretariat at press@vettingmd.com. The hearings take place in the context of the financial and ethical evaluation of the integrity of candidates for the position of member in the self-administration bodies of judges and prosecutors, in accordance with Law no. 26/2022. Therefore, six judicial candidates for position of member in the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) were invited to the interview, as follows: Wednesday, November 30, 2022 Aliona MIRON, Supreme Court of Justice (10:00 a.m.) Stanislav SORBALO, Bălți Court, Head Office (2:00 p.m.) Thursday, December 1, 2022 Vasile ȘCHIOPU, Ungheni Court (10:00 a.m.) Sergiu CARAMAN, Criuleni Court (14:00) Friday, December 2, 2022 Nicolae ȘOVA, Chișinău Court, Centru Office (10:00 a.m.) Ecaterina BUZU, Orhei Court, Head Office (2 p.m.) The hearings will be held in the premises of the National Institute of Justice, room 108 (Alexandru Ion Cuza) (M. Kogălniceanu street corner with Serghei Lazo street 1), and the list of participants will be established according to the sequence of notifications received by the Secretariat. Only people...
Three judicial candidates for the positions of SCM members passed the Pre-Vetting Commission’s evaluation
The Independent Commission for assessing the integrity of candidates for the positions of members in the self-administration bodies of judges and prosecutors (the Pre-Vetting Commission) announces that it adopted the first decisions on passing the evaluation with respect to three judicial candidates for the positions of members in the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM). According to the Commission, Livia Mitrofan and Maria Frunze, judges at the Chișinău Court, Center office, and Ioana Chironeț, judge at the Chișinău Court, Ciocana office, whose public hearings were held on 7 October 2022, passed the evaluation. All three judges are running for the position of member of the SCM, while Maria Frunze is also running for the position of member of the Board for the Selection and Career of Judges. As regards the three candidates, the Commission decided that they meet the ethical and financial integrity criteria, therefore they passed the evaluation. This conclusion is part of each of the three reasoned decisions, adopted unanimously by the Commission members and submitted to the evaluated candidates and to the Superior Council of Magistracy. During the evaluation process, information from numerous sources was analyzed to assess the financial and ethical integrity of the candidates, such as the National Integrity...
Three more candidates for the position of member in the CSM, publicly heard by the Pre-Vetting Commission
The Pre-Vetting Commission heard today, October 27, 2022, three candidates from the 23 remaining in the competition for the position of member of the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM). The candidates from among career judges Vitalie Stratan, from the Chișinău Court, Head Office, Iurie Bejenaru and Anatolie Țurcan, from the Supreme Court of Justice, were interviewed in terms of financial and ethical integrity. During the hearings, the members of the Commission asked the candidates several clarifying questions related to the incomes and assets owned, based on the information obtained from public and private sources, as well as the previous communication with them. In the case of candidate judges Iurie Bejenaru and Anatolie Țurcan, Commission member Tatiana Răducanu did not participate in the evaluation, as a result of the declaration of abstention. Following the evaluation procedure, the Commission is to issue a substantiated decision regarding whether the candidate passed or failed the evaluation. The entire process was documented by video and audio, except for the deliberations, which took place behind closed doors, and the recordings will be available in Romanian and English on the website of the Pre-Vetting Commission www.vetting.md under the section Transparency/Hearings in 24 hours. On Friday, October 28, three other candidates...
The Pre-Vetting Commission will interview six candidates for the position of member in the SCM
The Pre-Vetting Commission announces that, on October 27 and 28, 2022, it will hold a new round of public hearings of the candidates registered in the competition for the position of member of the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM). Six candidates from among the judges, from the 23 remaining in the competition, will be heard. On Thursday, October 27, 2022, the following candidates will appear before the members of the Commission: Vitalie Stratan, judge at the Chișinău Court, Head Office (10:00 a.m.) Iurie Bejenaru (13:00) and Anatolie Țurcan (16:00) - judges at the Supreme Court of Justice. On Friday, October 28, 2022, the following will be heard: Angela Bostan, magistrate at the Chișinău Court of Appeal (10:00 a.m.) Sergiu Osoianu, judge at the Strășeni Court (1:00 p.m.) Vladislav Holban, judge at the Chișinău District Court, Head Office (4:00 p.m.) The hearings take place in open session. Civil society, media representatives and the general public can participate, by notifying in advance the Commission's Secretariat at press@vettingmd.com. Only registered people will have access to the room where the hearings will take place - the National Institute of Justice, room 108 (Alexandru Ion Cuza) (M. Kogălniceanu street corner with Serghei Lazo street 1). Note: Filming, live streaming,...
The Pre-Vetting Commission announces the adoption of a decision on the non-promotion of the evaluation by the judge candidate for the position of member in the CSM
The Pre-Vetting Commission informs the public opinion about the adoption of the decision on the non-promotion of the evaluation by the judge at the Chisinau Court of Appeal, Iurie Cotruță, as a result of his withdrawal from the contest for the position of member of the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM). The decision was brought to the attention of the SCM and the candidate, who refused publication. According to the law, the SCM publishes the decisions of the Commission on its website, in a depersonalized form, unless the candidate refuses to make the decision public. According to Law No 26/2022 on some measures related to the selection of candidates for membership in the self-administrative bodies of judges and prosecutors, the withdrawal of a candidate from the competition after the institution responsible for organizing the elections or the competition has sent the list of candidates to the Commission, is equivalent to the non-promotion of the evaluation, regardless of the reason given by the candidate. A total number of 23 candidates remained in the contest for the position of member of the Superior Council of Magistracy, three of whom were heard by the Commission on 7 October 2022.
The first three candidates for the position of member of the Superior Council of Magistracy, from among judges, were heard
The public hearings of the first three candidate judges for the position of member of the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM), out of the 24 remaining in the contest, ended. The recordings from the hearings have been published and the Pre-Vetting Commission is to issue reasoned decisions about promotion or non-promotion of the evaluation by the candidates among judges. The first candidate publicly heard by the Commission was Livia Mitrofan, judge at the Chisinau Court, Centru Office, followed by the candidates Maria Frunze - judge at the Chisinau Court, Centru Office and Ioana Chironeț - judge at the Chisinau Court, Ciocana Office. During the hearings, the members of the Commission asked several questions of concretization related to the assets and incomes of the candidates, based on the information obtained from public and private sources, as well as the previous communication with the candidates. The hearings were attended by representatives of civil society and the media. The entire process of the hearings has been documented on video and audio, with the exception of the deliberations, which were held in camera, and the recordings are posted on the https://vetting.md/audieri/ website and the Commission's Youtube account. The Pre-Vetting Committee will hear the other 21 judge...
The Pre-Vetting Commission organizes the public hearing of three candidates for the position of member of the Superior Council of Magistracy
The first 3 candidates for membership in the Superior Council of Magistracy will be publicly heard on October 7, starting 10:00. Individuals and media representatives may attend hearings by notifying the Commission Secretariat in advance. Please register your participation by Thursday, October 6, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. at press@vettingmd.com. For reasons of public health, the admission of representatives of the media and the public to the hearings will be limited to 20 people, and the list of participants will be established according to the sequence of notifications received by the Secretariat and taking into account the public interest. NOTE: SCM candidates, subjects to evaluation, are invited to hearings at least 7 days prior to the event.
A new decision of the Pre-Vetting Commission: A candidate for the position of member of the SCM did not pass the evaluation
The Pre-Vetting Commission informs that it has examined the application of the candidate for the position of member of the Superior Council of the Magistracy, Iana Talmaci, currently a judge in the court in Strășeni. Following the deliberations, the members of the Commission decided that the magistrate did not pass the evaluation. According to Law no. 26/2022 regarding some measures related to the selection of candidates for the position of member in the self-administration bodies of judges and prosecutors, the withdrawal of a candidate from the competition after the institution responsible for organizing the elections or the competition submits the list of candidates to the Commission, is equivalent to not promoting the evaluation, regardless of the reason given by the candidate. At the same time, article 14 paragraph 1 of Law no. 26/2022 provides that the candidate has the right to contest the Commission's decision, within 5 days of receipt. To see the Decision, go to: https://www.csm.md/ro/?option=com_content&view=article&id=3472&fbclid=IwAR25uCkKCuq8jBFM1qctycOVldw-sM2Xu0PxdbQywxxulT7uUPSYwmHE8is Previously, three other judges, candidates for the position of member of the SCM, failed the evaluation. One of them is the magistrate Gheorghe Balan, from the Chișinău Court of Appeal, Buiucani office, who did not submit the 5-year Asset and Interest Declaration, which was established by...
Herman von Hebel, Chairperson of the Pre-Vetting Commission, at the Forum on Justice Reform and Fight Against Corruption: “A few weeks from now we will be holding our first public hearings with the candidates for the position of member in the Superior Council of Magistracy.”
The Chairperson of the Pre-Vetting Commission, Herman von Hebel, participated alongside key stakeholders in the justice sector, national and international experts, as well as representatives of the civil society and development partners of the Republic of Moldova, in the Forum on Justice Reform and Fight Against Corruption, held in Chișinău on 15-16 September 2022. At the panel on the external evaluation of judges and prosecutors and on the reform of the Supreme Court of Justice, Herman von Hebel spoke about the complexity and importance of the pre-vetting process as an essential and pivotal element in the successful implementation of the justice sector reform; he detailed the actions undertaken by the Commission in this regard, and mentioned when the hearings of candidates for the position of members of the Superior Council of Magistracy are to begin. At the beginning of his speech, Herman von Hebel said that it was an honor and a great responsibility for all the members of the Commission – both international and national – to participate in the evaluation of judges and prosecutors, underscoring how important it is to have a quality process, so that the justice system in the Republic of Moldova could be sanitized and reset. As regards...
Decision of the Pre-Vetting Commission Regarding a Candidate for the Position of Member of the SCM: Withdrawal Equals Failing the Evaluation
The Pre-Vetting Commission (hereinafter referred to as the Commission), adopted a decision establishing that Dumitru Pușca, candidate for member of the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM), currently a judge at the Bălți Court of Appeal, did not pass the evaluation. The letter of withdrawal sent by the candidate to the Commission on the 9th of September 2022 provided the basis for the candidate’s failure to pass the financial and ethical integrity evaluation. According to Law No 26/2022 on certain measures related to the selection of candidates for the position of member of the self-governing bodies of judges and prosecutors, the withdrawal of a candidate after the institution in charge of organising the selection or the competition has forwarded the list of candidates to the Commission, is equivalent to failure to pass the evaluation, regardless of the reasons given by the candidate. The decision of the Commission on the candidate’s failure to pass the evaluation was sent to the candidate and to the institution in charge of organising the competition that, in this given case, was the SCM, for publication on its official website. The decision of the Commission may be appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice within 5 days of receipt,...
START PRE-VETTING for the first group of 27 candidates for the position of member in the SCM
The Pre-Vetting Commission informs that it has started the evaluation process of the first group of 27 candidates for the position of SCM member from among judges. Initially, in the lists sent by the SCM to the Commission, there were 28 candidates for the position of SCM member from among judges https://csm.md/.../3454-lista-candidatilor-inscrisi... One candidate withdrew from the competition (judge Mihail COJOCARU ), respectively the Commission evaluated 27 candidates. On June 2, 2022, the Commission published and sent to all candidates the draft of the Declaration of wealth and personal interests form and the one regarding the list of close persons from the judicial system, the prosecutor's office and the public service, based on art. 9 paragraph 2 of Law no. 26/2022, for information and possible questions and comments. On June 21, 2022, the Commission invited all candidates, including the 27 SCM candidates, to voluntarily complete an Ethical Integrity Questionnaire, with a deadline of July 5, 2022. On July 8, 2022, the Commission sent the first 27 candidates to the CSM the Declaration of wealth and personal interests form and the one regarding the list of close persons from the judicial system, the prosecutor's office and the public service, based on art....
The declaration of assets and personal interests form has been sent to the first group of candidates to be evaluated
The “Pre-Vetting Commission” has sent today, 8 July 2022, the template of the 5-year assets and personal interests’ declaration (declaration) as per art. 9 para. 2 Law No. 26/2022 to the first group of candidates to be evaluated, namely the candidates for the position of members of the Superior Council of Magistracy among judges. Candidates from this group shall complete and return by email the declaration, as well as any other annexes as appropriate, by midnight on July 2022. The template of the declaration includes both the information on assets and personal interests and the list of close persons in the judiciary, prosecution and public service (the template declaration in Romanian is available https://bit.ly/3asDf6b). The Commission also sent the candidates two samples, filled in with fictitious data: a sample of the 5-year declaration filled in with fictitious data (available in Romanian https://bit.ly/3RedWW5) and a sample of the annual assets and personal interests’ declaration as per Annex I of Law No. 133/2016, provided for in Section 8 of the 5-year declaration, filled in with fictitious data (available in Romanian https://bit.ly/3ImtdA9). For further information: The Rules of Procedure, Evaluation Rules and the Asset Declaration form are available at https://www.facebook.com/ComisiaPreVetting
About one hundred candidates for key positions in the Superior Council of Magistrates and the Superior Council of Prosecutors will be evaluated starting with July
The process for the pre-vetting of around a hundred candidates for key positions in the self-administration bodies for judges and prosecutors in Moldova will start in early July. The Pre-Vetting Commission evaluates candidates for their financial and ethical integrity, and functions in an independent and impartial way. Candidates are obliged to fill in an asset declaration form which will provide detailed information about their finances over the last 5 years and will be invited to fill in an ethics questionnaire. The Commission will in addition collect and verify data and request information from individuals or legal entities of public or private law. These include tax authorities, anti-corruption agencies, private banks, civil society organizations and investigative journalists. “We realize how important this pre-vetting process is in the context of strengthening the independence, impartiality and effectiveness of the justice system in Moldova and the need to increase the credibility of the judicial system for the people of Moldova,” said Herman von Hebel, the Chairman of the Commission. He noted that the mission of the Commission is to make sure that only those candidates are eligible for the self-administration bodies if they meet the highest standards of financial and ethical integrity. “Procedural and evaluation rules have...
The first press conference held by the members of the Prevetting Commission
We invite you to the first press conference of the members of the Pre-Vetting Commission. 📌GENERAL: Pre-Vetting Commission: latest news and next steps 📌WHEN: Thursday, June 16, 2022, 10.00 a.m. 📌WHERE: Headquarters of the National Institute of Justice, 1 S. Lazo street 📌 LIVE TRANSMISSION: Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/ComisiaPreVetting/ or YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2EHBvtuq2H0EkeR38NCnKQ The independent commission for evaluating the integrity of candidates for the position of member in the self-administration bodies of judges and prosecutors (hereinafter - the Pre-Vetting Commission) is responsible for the independent evaluation of candidates for the position of member in the self-administration bodies of judges and prosecutors. The Pre-Vetting Commission is made up of six members appointed according to art. 5 of Law no. 26/2022 by Parliament Decision no. 88 of April 4, 2022. The evaluation process represents an important reform for the promotion of integrity and responsibility in the justice sector, as well as an essential step in the European integration process of the Republic of Moldova. The press conference will cover the following topics: • The mission of the Pre-Vetting Commission in the context of strengthening integrity and responsibility in the justice sector in Moldova. • The preparatory work carried out, including the essential documents of the "Pre-Vetting" Commission and the preliminary publication...
