Justice Ministry presents draft strategy for reforming justice

The Ministry of Justice finished the first stage of drafting the strategy for reforming the legal system and presented the preliminary version of the document, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to Minister of Justice Oleg Efrim, they can now move to the second stage – finalization of the conception of the strategy within sector working groups. He said that the final version of the strategy will be available by August 20. Afterward, the document will be sent to the responsible institutions for coordination. “We plan to submit the strategy for reforming the legal system to Parliament for examination and approval by this autumn,” Oleg Efrim said in a news conference on July 6. He also said that the factors that served as a starting point for working out the strategy include the low level of the people’s confidence in justice, the need to create a favorable environment for investments and economic growth, and Moldova’s European integration aspirations. “Only 1% of the Moldovans have trust in the legal system,” said Oleg Efrim. The minister said that the aim of the strategy is to build an accessible, efficient, independent, transparent, professional and responsible legal system that would meet the European standards and ensure the rule of law and the observance of human rights. Oleg Efrim stressed that the reform of the legal system should be based on seven main pillars: the legal system, criminal justice, access to justice and enforcement of the law, strengthening of the integrity of the players in the legal system, justice’s contribution to economic growth, respect for the human rights, ensuring of a well-coordinated and responsible legal system.