Only 16% of Moldovans have confidence in Moldova’s legal system. Among those who interacted directly with the legal system, the figure stands at 18%. These are the results of an opinion poll on the people’s perception of justice that were presented on February 7, IPN reports.

Asked if they trust particular players of the system, only 19% of those polled said they trust judges, while 20% said they have confidence in prosecutors. The lawyers are trusted by 33% of the respondents. Those who interacted with the legal system trust more the lawyers (41%) and less the prosecutors (16%).

Only 18% of the Moldovans believe that a guilty rich person will be found guilty by court. 24% consider a person accused unfoundedly will be declared not guilty.

On the other hand, 54% of the respondents who interacted with the legal system said they were satisfied with the level of competence of the judge, while 56% said they were satisfied with the behavior of the judge in the trial. 59% said they were pleased with the competence of the lawyer and only 42% said they were pleased with the competence of the prosecutor.

Some 13% of those surveyed said they offered presents or money informally in court, while 24% said they were asked to do this.

Chairman of the Superior Council of Magistracy Victor Micu said he is slightly dissatisfied with the poll and would like a more concrete survey that would focus on the role of the judge and on corruption. He noted he would like the respondents to say who exactly they offered money – the assistant, the lawyer, the clerk or other functionaries. According to Micu, the level of confidence in justice is low not only because of the judges, but also because of the other players of the legal system.

The poll was conducted by Magenta Consulting.