Four members of the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM) led by acting chairman Dorel Musteață invited the President, Parliament Speaker and Prime Minister to discussions about the problems faced by the Council and the judicial system. He said yet that the Council members will not accept the invitation to discussions issued by the minister of justice so as not to allow for interference in the judicial system given the principle of separation of powers in the state, IPN reports.
In a news conference, Dorel Musteață said Minister of Justice Fadei Nagachevski on the Ministry’s website placed an invitation to discussions on the problems faced in the justice system on December 6, intended for the SCM members. “The Superior Council of Magistracy thanks Mister Nagachevski for the invitation, but, given the principle of separation of powers in the states, we consider the justice sector problems should be discussed at the SCM, not at the Ministry of Justice as this represents the executive power and doubts about interference in the judicial system could thus appear,” stated the acting chairman.
In this connection, Dorin Musteață requested the interested persons to come to the SCM meeting set for December 10 where they are ready to discuss all the problems encountered in the system, including Minister Fadei Nagachevski, who was absent from four previous meetings of the SCM.
Asked by journalists if the invitation to discussions addressed to the President, Speaker and Premier can be interpreted as interference, as they invoke in the case of the minister of justice, Dorel Musteață said they made a call to all the powers of the state because there is a blockage. The SCM in July named 31 judges to posts and send the relevant decisions to the President, but the decrees haven’t been yet issued.
“We want to discuss the appointment of judges. Maybe there are particular problems here. Furthermore, as regards the Prime Minister, you saw that it was proposed freeing the building of the Centru branch of the Chisinau City Court. We know nothing about this, but this issue is within the remit of the Government,” stated Dorel Musteață, noting there is a SCM decision to accept the resignation of Ion Druță from the post of president of the Supreme Court of Justice, but the legislature hasn’t adopted a relevant decision and a contest to fill this post cannot be announced.
He also said that the place where discussions are held with representatives of the senior administration also matters as the SCM is a self-governing judicial body.
