The draft decision on the appointment of Judge Viorica Puică to the Supreme Court of Justice was excluded from the agenda of the sitting of Parliament. Previously, the Socialist Party members of the Parliamentary Commission for Legal Appointments and Immunities voted against the appointment of Magistrate Puică as a judge at the Supreme Court of Justice.

The Superior Council of Magistracy proposed Viorica Puica to the plenary of the Parliament to be appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of Justice. She was the only one chosen from the six candidates after Ghenadie Pavliuc withdrew his candidacy. 

On July 16, the Parliament hand to decide on the appointment of Judge Puică to the Supreme Court of Justice, but the issue was excluded from the agenda of the sitting of Parliament.

Zinaida Greceanîi, the President of the Parliament, mentioned that the subject will be examined at next week’s meeting.

The deputy from the Action and Solidarity Party, Sergiu Litvinenco, spoke out against this decision, appreciating the judge’s qualities.

Contacted by ZdG, Puică refused to comment on the situation.

On July 15, the Socialist Party deputies, who are members of the Parliamentary Commission for Legal Appointments and Immunities voted against the appointment of Magistrate Viorica Puică as a judge at the Supreme Court of Justice.

Following the decision of the Socialists, Litvinenco, who is also a member of the Commission for Legal Appointments and Immunities. 

“The Socialist Party votes in the Legal Commission AGAINST the appointment of Viorica Puică as a judge at the Supreme Court of Justice, one of the most honest and competent judges in this country. It is clear why – the Socialists need docile people with serious problems because these people unhinderedly carry out illegal orders from President Igor Dodon and others like him. Integrity is incompatible with what Dodon wants to build in this country,“ Litvinenco said.

Contacted by Ziarul de Gardă, the Socialist Party deputy Grigore Novac claimed that he voted against because “he cannot support a person he does not know well from a professional point of view.”

“It simply came to our notice then. The Plenary will decide whether or not to accept one candidate or another. This does not depend on the Legal Commission. The Commission reports on the project, it is stated. The final decision belongs to the plenary. I can’t support a person I don’t know well from a professional point of view. The materials that appeared in the press, make me refrain from supporting the given person,” said Novac.

Puică has been a judge since 2002 and works at the Chișinău Court, Botanica district headquarters. Puică ran in several competitions for promotion to the position of judge at the Supreme Court of Justice. Although she often had the highest score, she was not designated by the Superior Council of Magistracy as the winner of the competitions. 

In 2017, she also aspired to be a member of the Superior Council of Magistracy.

Previously, the judge criticized in her speeches the judicial system in Moldova, stating that it lacks independence.  

On June 9, 2020, the Superior Council of Magistracy chose Viorica Puică from the six candidates aspiring to become judges in the Supreme Court of Justice. The Superior Council of Magistracy proposed Puică’s candidacy to the plenary of the Parliament also on June 9.