The justice sector reform is a solution to solve the problems existing inside the legal system. “All the reforms in the Republic of Moldova can start from the justice sector reform,” said lawyer Anatolie Istrate. In an interview for IPN News Agency, the lawyer noted that this reform should be consulted with specialists because the laws are made by persons who didn’t work in the field. When that practice is absent and only theory is possessed, there is no effect. Anatolie Istrate said he agrees with the statements of President-elect Maia Sandu, who said that she intends to submit a law on the justice sector reform, different from the reform witnessed until now, to Parliament.

According to the lawyer, the posts of prosecutor, judge and lawyer are important in administering justice in the Republic of Moldova, but cooperation is absent. By “cooperation’, he means the process within which all the three players show their juridical knowledge in the field, adopting a legal decision. There is no such effect now. Today the judges are afraid to pronounce acquittal sentences so as not to be blamed by society and to be accused of taking bribe. Asked about eventual intimidations against the three players of the legal system, the lawyer admitted that many fulfill orders because they are afraid not to lose the job or for other reasons.

Anatolie Istrate noted that he had big expectations of Prosecutor General Alexandr Stoianoglo, that this can change the situation in the prosecution service, but nothing happened. “Mister Stoianoglo should leave. He didn’t change the situation in the prosecution service and only dealt with prosecutors who, knowing the situation, are in a kind of personal relations,” stated the lawyer.

Anatolie Istrate started work as an investigator in the prosecution service in 1990. He was then promoted to deputy prosecutor in the county and later became a judge, serving as a judge for six years. In 2009, he obtained the license of lawyer. He now serves at the law firm “Anatolie Istrate”. In 2019, he applied for the post of prosecutor general because, as he considers, he was and is a specialist in the field and aimed to restore the authority of the Prosecutor General’s Office.

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The interview was conducted as part of IPN News Agency’s project “Injustice Revealed through Multimedia”.