Moldovan PM urges prosecutors, judges to be guided only by law, not to allow interferences in their work

Chisinau, 23 July /MOLDPRES/ - Prime Minister Maia Sandu has urged the judges and prosecutors to be guided only by the legal provisions and not allow interferences in their work. The PM made statements to this effect at a forum titled, Justice reformation and combating corruption, held in Chisinau today.  

„I have earlier come up with an appeal to the prosecutors. I want to reiterate this message to the judges and to prosecutors: those who served a corrupt regime and allowed illegal rulings must leave. Do not wait for another master. The only master should be the law. I want to emphasize, especially for all judges, prosecutors and integrity inspectors – do not expect and do not accept instructions from anywhere. Do not treat you offices as a personal privilege, but as a public service for the benefit of the citizens. Exercise you offices with dignity, regaining your independence and let us work together to gain the society’s trust in justice,” Maia Sandu said.  

According to the prime minister, in the last ten years, more actions have been undertaken in Moldova which should have enhanced the independence of justice, including the salaries of the judges and prosecutors have been increased. Nevertheless, "things have degraded instead of improving and the prosecutors and judges have not acted and continue not to act independently,” Maia Sandu noted.

„I want to believe that there are judges and prosecutors, criminal prosecution officers, integrity inspectors, specialists in law-enforcement bodies who are honest, upright, competent, but who were not allowed to act freely and in accordance with the law. If this is true, then you can ensure the needed change, can fulfill the mission freely and with dignity. Do not let yourselves intimidated and do not allow interference in your activity. Fight just as people fought when taking to streets to defend their rights. You have the chance to prove to the country that the system can be changed from inside. Otherwise, the change will have to come from outside. And it will come, if necessary, quite soon,” the prime minister stressed.  

Maia Sandu also said that the authorities’ goal was to reform the justice system irreversibly and to ensure the independence of the states’ institutions; yet, the process of creation of a fair justice lasts and implies much effort and participation on behalf of everybody.  

The forum, Justice reformation and combating corruption, was held in Chisinau on 22 and 23 July.