The Government approved the bill concerning the preliminary assessment of the integrity of candidates for members of the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM) and the Superior Council of Prosecutors (SCP). In accordance with the Ministry of Justice’s bill, the candidates for member of the two Councils will take an integrity test to see if their property coincides with the declared incomes. The assessment will be carried out by a special commission consisting of national and international experts, IPN reports.
In the Cabinet’s meeting, Minister of Justice Sergiu Litvinenco said the bill was designed in accordance with the opinion of the Venice Commission and envisions the assessment of the integrity of all the candidates for members of SCM and SCP and the Boards of these. It is designed to filter out the candidates who have integrity problems, deviated from the ethical principles and have properties that are much larger than the officially declared assets.
“We can start to clear the justice sector of corrupt people and to this way restore the people’s confidence in the justice system only if we have honest and upright persons in SCM and SCP,” stated the minister.
Under the bill, the assessment commission will consists of six members – three national members who will be named at the suggestion of parliamentary groups according to the principle of proportionality and three members who will be proposed by the development partners and confirmed by the votes of 3/5 of the MPs.
The bill provides that all the public authorities, public registrars and private entities, including banks, will be obliged to provide free the information needed for assessing the candidates, including about the property of persons close to these. The document stipulates penalties for the non-provision of information.
The commission’s decisions could be challenged in the Supreme Court of Justice. The challenges will be examined by a special panel whose members will be designated by SCM and will be confirmed by presidential degree.
The proposed law will have an effect only until the end of 2022.
