The Vetting Commission, which was set up in June, has started examining the judges sitting on the Supreme Court of Justice, as well as Supreme Court hopefuls, the Ministry of Justice announced in a press release.

Later, the Commission will evaluate the candidates for the Superior Council of the Judiciary (SCM) who applied before September 1, members of the SCM’s Panel for the Selection and Evaluation of Judges and of the SCM’s Disciplinary Panel, judges in key positions (presidents and vice-presidents of courts) and judges of Courts of Appeals.

Before the Vetting Commission, the Pre-Vetting Commission, which began its work in April 2022, evaluated the candidates for the Superior Council of the Judiciary and the Superior Council of Prosecutors (CSP) who applied before September 1. Now, the candidates who appealed after failing the initial evaluation will stand for a renewed evaluation. After this re-evaluation, the Pre-Vetting Commission will formally complete its mandate.

Another Vetting Commission will follow that will evaluate the candidates for the CSP who applied after September 1, prosecutors in key positions at the Prosecutor General’s Office, prosecutors at specialized prosecution services, such as the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office and the PCCOCS. Also, the chief territorial prosecutors and their deputies will be evaluated, as well as the members of the CSP’s Evaluation Panel and Disciplinary Panel.

The two vetting commissions are expected to complete their evaluations by the end of 2025.

Judges and prosecutors who will fail the pre-vetting/vetting exercise will be evaluated by the respective evaluation panels of the CSM and CSP following their incorporation.