Parliament reexamined law on external assessment of judges

Chisinau, Aug. 17 /MOLDPRES/- Parliament today re-examined the draft law on external assessment of judges and prosecutors, after the document was returned by President Maia Sandu.

The review letter sent to the Parliament by the President of the Republic of Moldova reads "the external evaluation exercise is accompanied by a multitude of risks, and legislative counterbalances are necessary to reduce them".

The head of the legal commission on rules and immunities, Olesea Stamate, said in plenary that the president's note calls for the harmonization of the provisions of the law regarding the evaluation of all judges and prosecutors with the provisions of the law regarding the evaluation of CSJ judges as regards the criterion of ethical integrity, which was different in the two laws.

At the same time, the evaluation commissions for judges and prosecutors will take into account irrevocable court decisions, except for those that are considered arbitrary or manifestly unreasonable. More precisely, the decisions of the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) and the Superior Council of Prosecutors (CSP) will be contested by the Evaluation Commission, not only by those subject to evaluation. The appeal will be submitted to the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ), where it will be examined within 30 days by a panel consisting of the first three judges who passed the evaluation and did not work in the CSJ until December 31, 2022 .

The legislative initiative providing for the external evaluation of judges and prosecutors was adopted by Parliament in late July.