Moldovan PM calls for limiting application of preventive arrest, greater transparency of court hearings

Chisinau, 05 June /MOLDPRES/ – Prime Minister Pavel Filip has asked today the Ministry of Justice (MJ) to promote legislative changes to limit application of preventive arrest and ensure greater transparency of court hearings, the government’s communication and protocol department has reported.

The Prime Minister pointed out that those two aspects overshadow work of Executive and cause distrust of justice.

"The preventive arrest is not always motivated. It is very important to understand that this is an exceptional measure. There are other measures that can be undertaken and in most cases would be more welcome than preventive arrest, such as judicial control, bail or home arrest," said PM.

Another issue is lack of transparency of court hearings, many trials being held behind shut doors.

"I came up with so – called "little reform" of justice and I know in detail how MJ functions. But elements of this sort do nothing but frustrate the activity, which, in my view, is a titanic one. The legislation on prosecutors and judges has been adjusted to European framework, we have a good legal framework, but we need to see how it is implemented and how to respect it," said Pavel Filip.

Within context, Premier called for "small reform" of justice to be finalised as quickly as possible, including limitation of use of preventive arrest and excessive use of closed court hearings. "Let us not leave the margin of interpretation to judge, but be very clear in legal framework when that measure is applied," concluded PM.