The protection of human rights in the criminal process and proposals to amend the Code of Criminal Procedure (CPP) were discussed at a round table with the participation of state authorities and justice experts. The event took place on Friday 3 February.

The aim of the event organised by the Moldovan Legal Resources Centre (MJRC) in partnership with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and Soros Foundation Moldova is “to identify the best solutions for the protection of human rights in the criminal process”, a statement said.

According to the representatives of the CRJM, “a group of experts have drawn up a series of recommendations for improving the Code of Criminal Procedure”.

“The proposed amendments are aimed at streamlining the procedures for examining criminal cases, delimiting the competences of criminal prosecution bodies, enforcing several Constitutional Court rulings, thus also ensuring the implementation of the measures proposed by the European Commission in its Opinion on Moldova’s application for accession to the European Union,” Justice Minister Sergiu Litvinenco said at the opening of the event.

Among the changes proposed by the expert group are the introduction of a rule ensuring access of the defence to prosecution materials and measures, the submission of the case file for examination in court only with admissible evidence or the digitisation of some prosecution processes, such as the hearing of witnesses by teleconference.

“Several proposals to amend the CPP have been collected at the MoJ from public institutions and civil society. As a result, a draft law with the proposals was elaborated in the working group set up on the ministerial platform and a consensus was reached on improving the prosecution and judicial procedures”, said State Secretary Veronica Mihailov-Moraru.

In an opening statement, Petru Culeac, Executive Director of the Soros Foundation Moldova, said that “the modernisation of the CPP contributes to the efficiency of the justice sector reform process and ensures better respect for human rights”.

“Soros Foundation Moldova reconfirms its support for the protection of human rights, especially in the context of Moldova’s commitment to bring the national legal framework closer to European standards after we also received the status of candidate country. I thank the expert groups for their dedication in the process of drafting the proposals to amend the Criminal Procedure Code”, said Petru Culeac, Executive Director of Soros Foundation Moldova.

“The joint efforts of all parties involved will further contribute to making the criminal process more efficient and ensuring better protection of human rights, in particular – of persons coming into contact with the criminal justice system”, said the President of the CCMR Ilie Chirtoaca.