Procedure for appointment of judges to change in Moldova

Chisinau, 7 November /MOLDPRES/ – The Cabinet of Ministers approved a draft amending and completing the Constitution today, stipulating that magistrates to be appointed until reaching the age limit.

According to the project, the judges will have one mandate and are appointed by the President of Moldova, at the proposal of the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM). The President "may only reject the nomination proposed by the CSM ".

At present, judges are initially appointed for a five – year term. Their term of office is extended to the retirement age only if they do not admit violations.

Also, judges will only have functional immunity under the law, so that in case of violations they will be prosecuted. The members of the CSM will be elected or appointed for a six – year term, without the possibility of having two consecutive terms of office, reads the document. The authors of the project propose that the Prosecutor General and the Minister of Justice be no longer members of the CSM.

The Government will enquire the opinion of the Constitutional Court (CC) on draft law approved today and then submit it to Parliament for scrutiny.

(Reporter V. Bercu, editor M. Jantovan)