Moldovan president says firmer measures should be taken in continuation, to ensure fair, efficient justice

President Maia Sandu today held a news conference focused on recent developments in the justice field. At the event, she emphasized the need to accelerate reforms, in order to combat corruption and ensure the efficient work of the justice system.

The head of state said that, although improvements were noticed in certain segments of justice, due to the reforms underway and the efforts of judges and prosecutors who perform their duties honestly, in other areas, these measures were insufficient. In the context, President Maia Sandu welcomed the recent law passed by the parliament, which extends the extraordinary evaluation process (vetting) to some first-instance judges — specifically, those who, starting from 2017, have examined or are examining corruption cases and cases related to corruption. Maia Sandu emphasized that this measure aligned with the findings of the European Commission's 2025 Enlargement Report, which recommends the external evaluation of all judges specialized in anti-corruption, including those in first-instance courts.

“We receive increasingly worrying signals regarding the sabotage and evasion by some first-instance judges from examining cases important to the country, relying on not being subjected to the vetting exercise, that is, the extraordinary external evaluation. We must move forward with firm measures, in order to have a fair and efficient justice system, and for the fight against corruption to yield results,” said the head of state.

In the context, the president asked the parliament, the Justice Ministry, the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) and other responsible authorities to analyze within a working group and to urgently initiate measures regarding:

• revising the vetting mechanism, in order to broaden the categories of judges subject to extraordinary evaluation;

and/or

• accelerating the internal procedures of the Superior Council of Magistracy regarding the evaluation of judges’ performance.

At the same time, the Moldovan president drew attention to another serious issue: the evasion of convicted individuals from serving their sentences. The head of state emphasized that the Transnistrian region was increasingly used to avoid the application of penalties pronounced by sentences, and the current procedures for initiating searches are slow and often ineffective.

“I urge the government to improve the existing framework and take necessary legislative measures, in order to prevent the evasion of convicted individuals from serving their sentences, including by simplifying the procedure of searching for a person once the sentence and the arrest measure for serving the sentence are pronounced,” the head of state noted.

In conclusion, President Maia Sandu highlighted the importance of recognizing and appreciating the efforts of honest judges and prosecutors who perform their duties responsibly, despite the pressures exerted by corrupt groups. At the same time, the head of state stressed that it is important for all judges and prosecutors, from all institutions and at all levels, to prove correct and integrated behavior, noting that the justice reforms would continue.