The Parliament postponed the examination in second reading of the Bill on the amendments to certain legislative acts regarding the status of the judge, Info-Prim Neo reports. The amendments, allowing initiation of criminal investigations against judges without prior consent from the Higher Magistrates’ Council (CSM) were once again criticized by opposition MPs. The draft law, adopted in first reading, empowers the general prosecutor to start criminal investigations against a judge without any agreement from the CSM, the President of Moldova or the Parliament. If approved, the amendments will oblige the prosecutor only to inform the CSM about the starting of the criminal investigations. The Ministry of Justice, which had worked out the bill, argues that the amendments will exclude inexact interpretation of the legislation on the inviolability of judges, according to which the judges obtain a special status, which often excludes the possibility of any operative criminal investigations, even in the cases of blatant disregard of the law. In the Friday Parliament meeting, MP Ion Plesca, member of AMN, stated that the amendments will not strengthen the institution of justice, but would rather decline it. He asked the Parliament to think well before approving the amendments and quoted an appeal made in this direction by the Judges Association and the CSM. Head of the Parliament’s Legal Committee Vladimir Turcanu, explained that the amendments limit the powers of the CSM only regarding the starting of the criminal investigations. Liability to criminal responsibility and the sending of the case to trial still can only be operated with the agreement of the CSM, Turcanu specified. The examination of the bill has been ceased by Speaker Marian Lupu, who announced that, after the consultations in the presidium, it was decided that the draft should be sent for additional examination. The General Prosecutor, Chairman of the CSM as well as a range of lawyers and representatives of the civil society were also present at the Parliament’s meeting. They were invited to participate in the hearings concerning the ECHR judgments against Moldova.