Moldovan parliament likely to make amendments to Constitution

Chisinau, 16 September /MOLDPRES/- Today MPs approved a draft amendment to the Constitution in first reading.

The project was presented in plenary by Minister of Justice Sergiu Litvinenco. He said that the draft refers to the initial term of appointment of judges and the selection of judges of the Supreme Court of Justice and also specifies the role of the Superior Council of Magistracy in the process of self-administration of the judiciary, its composition and powers.

One of the proposed interventions refers to the exclusion of the initial term of 5 years of appointment of judges, provided in art. 116 of the Constitution. Thus, the judges of the courts would be appointed until the age limit is reached, by the President of the Republic of Moldova, at the proposal of the Superior Council of Magistracy. The head of state may reject the candidacy proposed by the CSM only once.

The draft provides for the completion of the Constitution with a new article that will expressly regulate the fact that the Superior Council of Magistracy is the guarantor of the independence of the judicial authority.

The document establishes the exclusion of the Prosecutor General and the Minister of Justice from the composition of the CSM. It will consist of 12 members: 6 members from among the judges and 6 - from among the non-judges, elected by the Parliament.

Another proposed change concerns the term of office of CSM members, which will be 6 years.

The law would enter into force at the expiration of 6 months from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Moldova.

Photo: Parliament