Members of the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM) awarded on Tuesday, September 5, qualification degrees to magistrates Igor Botezatu and Vasile Hrapacov of the Comrat Court. The decisions were adopted with seven “pro” votes. Only one SCM member voted against.

Thus, the President of the Comrat Court, Igor Botezatu, was awarded the second degree of qualification, and Judge Vasile Hrapacov, who works in the same court, was awarded the third degree of qualification.

Igor Botezatu has been working in the judiciary since September 2011, when he was appointed for a five-year term as a judge at the Vulcanesti Court, according to magistrat.md. Two years later he became interim president of the Vulcanesti Court. On February 4, 2021, the magistrate was appointed as vice-president of the Comrat Court, until the position was filled in the manner established by law, and in December 2021, by a decree signed by President Maia Sandu, he became president of the Comrat Court.

Vasile Hrapacov has been working in the system since November 2013. On January 14, 2014, the judge was appointed by the SCM to perform the duties of an investigating judge, according to magistrat.md. In November 2018, Hrapacov was appointed as a judge until he reached the age limit.

SCM member Ion Guzun voted against granting the respective judges their qualifications. He had a dissenting opinion.

“I propose that this matter be deferred. The SCM has so far adopted six decisions concerning about 10 judges in relation to the award of honorary degrees, according to the SCM Regulation on the award of degrees to judges. The grades are of an honorary nature and reflect the appreciation of the results of the work, the quality of the act of justice adopted, the level of professionalism and the conduct of the judges. Yes, indeed, we now know the work of Mr Botezatu, Mr Hrapacov, but we do not have such data and we have not had more recent data on judges. However, the SCM Regulation sets out several documents that judges must submit on the basis of which the SCM adopts a decision. I believe that if it is a decision to grant an honorary degree, we should not adopt a decision that does not have more recent data. I have nothing against their work, I just propose that the issues related to the granting of honorary degrees should be postponed (…). They do not have any integrity problems, they do not have any other issues that would call into question, but this is my position”, Ion Guzun told the SCM meeting.

According to the Regulation on the granting of qualification grades to judges of the SCM, qualification grades are granted to judges by the Superior Council of Magistracy. They have an “honorary character and reflect the appreciation of the results of the work, the quality of the acts of justice adopted, the level of professionalism and conduct of the judge”.