Procedure for nominating candidates for position of Constitutional Court judge more transparent

 

Chișinău, September 10, 2026 – Parliament voted in the first reading on a draft law aimed at strengthening transparency in nominating candidates for the position of Constitutional Court judge.

The legislative initiative was drafted by Veronica Roșca, Chair of the legal committee on rules and immunities, following the adoption by the Venice Commission of an opinion on the draft law on the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Moldova. The draft law also incorporates the recommendations of European Commission experts.

The draft law proposes amending the article concerning the eligibility criteria and the procedure for selecting candidates for the position of Constitutional Court judge. The objective of the proposed provisions is to establish a transparent, competitive and clearly structured framework for selecting Constitutional Court judges.

The procedure for selecting a new judge will begin three months before the expiry of the current judge’s term.

The institutions that select candidates for the position of Constitutional Court judge – Parliament, Government and Superior Council of Magistracy – will be required to organize the selection procedure based on objective criteria. Accordingly, each authority will publish on its official website a notice announcing the launch of the selection procedure, the requirements for candidates and the deadline for submitting application documents.

The next mandatory stage is public consultation and the verification of the candidates’ integrity. Their CVs will also be published, and civil society, the media and other interested parties will be given a period during which they may submit documented information concerning the candidates’ eligibility, incompatibilities or integrity.

Another stage of the selection procedure is interviewing the candidates. The final results of the procedure will be published on the website of the institution that conducted the procedure for selecting the candidate for the position of Constitutional Court judge.

Thus, the timeframe for organizing the procedure for selecting and appointing a Constitutional Court judge will be extended from 45 days to three months, in order to ensure sufficient time for all procedural stages to be carried out effectively and appropriately.

Under the law, the Constitutional Court consists of six judges appointed for a six-year term. Two are appointed by Parliament, two by the Government and two by the Superior Council of Magistracy. During their term of office, they are irremovable and independent, and are subject only to the Constitution.

The draft law amending the Law on the Constitutional Court will be submitted to Parliament for consideration in the second reading.

 

Communication and Public Relations Department of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova