The Association of Judges of the Republic of Moldova (AJM), whose president is magistrate Victor Sandu, one of the candidates who did not pass the evaluation of financial and ethical integrity and the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) decided to be re-evaluated by the Pre-Vetting Commission, published on Wednesday, August 2, a press release, according to which, “wishes to provide explanations regarding the recent statements expressed in communications made by several actors of the legislative and executive power”.

Thus, the non-governmental organisation stresses that the recent decisions of the SCJ “must be analysed within the framework of the law and legal procedures, without drawing hasty conclusions or raising unjustified suspicions”.

“In the light of these discussions, we would like to strongly stress the importance of strengthening and independence of the judiciary and emphasize that political influences have no place in the sphere of justice.

In a functioning democracy, the judiciary must be fully independent and operate without any political or external interference. This is an essential condition for ensuring fair, impartial and just justice for all citizens,” the statement said.

At the same time, as regards the pre-vetting and vetting process, the representatives of the AJM note that it must be carried out “in a transparent, fair and respectful manner with regard to the fundamental rights of the persons being assessed”.

“Genuine judicial reform must focus on ensuring integrity and professionalism while maintaining the independence of the judiciary,” according to the AJM.

Prime Minister Dorin Recean made the first statements after the special panel of the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) annulled the decisions of the Pre-Vetting Commission on twenty-one candidates and ordered their re-evaluation at the start of Wednesday’s government meeting.

The prime minister said he was not surprised by the decisions and that they contributed to the perpetuation of corruption.