NGOs advocate greater budget allocations for justice

The Association for Participatory Democracy (ADEPT) and the Legal Resource Center (CRJM) issued a statement addressed to the national authorities to express their concern about the size of the budget allocations for justice included in the 2011 Budget Bill, Info-Prim Neo. The signatories request the government to review the financial needs of the justice system and considerably increase the share of budget expenses in this area. “The current Government and Parliament of Moldova have assumed the responsibility to carry out significant reforms in the justice domain, which inevitably involves significant expenses, especially since increasing the size of budget allocations for justice has been a priority set out in the government program”, the statement reads. ADEPT and CRJM remind the national authorities that, according to the law, the financial allocations for the courts are approved and included in the state budget by the Parliament on the proposal of the Supreme Magistracy Council (SMC). For 2011, SMC estimated the district and appellate courts' budgets to stand at 170 million lei, this being basic expenses which exclude the spending of the Supreme Court and expenses on potential reforms. However, the amount included in the Budget Bill is 19% lower that what SMC estimated. Therefore, ADEPT and CRJM call on the government to create strong legislative safeguards in order to provide the judicial system with adequate financing; to take strong steps to fast-track the implementation of the Concept on judicial expenses; and to collaborate with SMC when approving allocations for the courts.