President of the Venice Commission, Gianni Buquicchio, calls on the institutions of the Republic of Moldova to work together to ensure the independence and integrity of the judiciary. In a statement, the official has recalled that the Venice Commission, in its October opinion, acknowledged the legitimacy of the current composition of the Superior Council of Magistracy. At the same time, stresses Gianni Buquicchio, these constitutional competences must always, and only, be used to fulfil legitimate institutional goals in the best interest of Moldovan citizens, IPN reports.
“Following my meeting with the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Moldova, I am very concerned about the current conflicts among the different institutions of the state. Self-serving and divisive attitudes must be avoided. The Republic of Moldova needs to prove that it is a viable constitutional state”, says the President of the Venice Commission.
Gianni Buquicchio also maintains that the mandate and powers of the State institutions must be respected. The Constitution must be respected. "I call on all the institutions of the Republic of Moldova to co-operate loyally and productively with each other to find a long-term solution for the independence and integrity of the judiciary and prosecution services, in compliance with the Moldovan Constitution and with the international principles of democracy and the rule of law", said Gianni Buquicchio.
The General Assembly of Judges, convened on September 27 in an extraordinary meeting, decided to remove from office the six judges delegated to the Superior Council of Magistracy. The extraordinary meeting was summoned at the initiative of a group of judges by the ruling of the Chisinau Court of Appeal, after the SCM rejected the magistrates' request to convene the General Assembly. On September 30, the SCM lodged an appeal, requesting that the decision of September 27 be annulled. According to the SCM, "the decision is struck by nullity on the grounds that the assembly was summoned with the manifest violation of the legal provisions".
