Given the lack of quorum, the General Assembly of Judges, convened on October 25, failed to appoint the composition of the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM). The assembly which is not recognized by the Ministry of Justice and the Superior Council of Magistracy, was attended by 160-170 out of the 200 judges needed to appoint a new CSM composition, IPN reports.
Oleg Sternioală, a judge of the Supreme Court of Justice, has said that the members of the Superior Council of Magistracy are removed from office and that "it is just their opinion if they think they are still members of the CSM". Oleg Sternioală has specified that the convening of today's assembly seems logical, since, after the CSM members’ removal from office, the institution must have another composition, which can only be appointed by the General Assembly of Judges.
Ion Chirtoaca, a magistrate at Chisinau Court, Buiucani headquarters, maintains that even the Venice Commission has recommended that the justice reforms start from the Superior Council of Magistracy. "In June, the representative of the executive was at the CSM meeting and said he did not trust the institution because it served the Plahotniuc regime. Currently this government supports the dismissed members of the CSM, appointed during the Democratic Party’s governance, "said Ion Chirtoaca. The judge also stated that the judiciary authorities had not fulfilled their duties adequately to ensure that the Assembly of Judges was conducted under proper conditions. "It is my right, as a judge, to disagree with the decisions of the Superior Council of Magistracy," the magistrate stressed.
In a Facebook post, Prime Minister Maia Sandu wrote that the real intention of those who convened the General Assembly of Judges was to block the reforms initiated by the Government and to protect the judges who used to trample on the law. The prime minister has mentioned that changing the CSM composition can only take place in compliance with the European law and standards in the field, while the rules promoted by the Government for the election of CSM members establish a fair and transparent process that benefits honest and competent judges. "Dear judges, I wish you the wisdom to make the right decisions, to listen to your own conscience, to respect the law and to act with a view to building a rule of law and the future of this country," Maia Sandu wrote on Facebook.
President Igor Dodon has also reacted to the events, stating in a Facebook post that "judges cannot be denied their right to a peaceful assembly to discuss matters of common interest to the guild, but these meetings must be summoned strictly according to the legal norms”.
On September 27, the General Assembly of Judges decided to remove from office the six judges delegated to the Superior Council of Magistracy.
