The Republic of Moldova generally has no problems in terms of the periods for judging cases, compared to the states that are part of the Council of Europe. However, there is a big problem in the case of high-profile cases in which trials are long, which gives society the impression that the situation is the same on all causes, the chairman of the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM) Sergiu Caraman stated in a public debate titled "Citizens' Trust in Justice, Developments and Assessments".
"We are somewhere up in terms of the periods for examining cases. The Republic of Moldova, globally speaking or in general, has no problems with the periods for judging cases. The Republic of Moldova had and continues to have problems with the quality of justice," said Sergiu Caraman.
According to the head of the SCM, problems related to the examination periods are witnessed in the cases of public interest, those that are widely publicized and in which the society expects results, but these do not come: "It is a big problem because it creates the impression that on all the cases, in the courts, they work as in the case of high-profile ones."
As for citizens' trust in the justice system, Sergiu Caraman said that the latest survey indicates an improvement. Every third citizen said that things in justice changed for the better in the last three years. When asked about trust in professionals, the respondents said they have greater trust in the legal profession, the police, but less in judges and prosecutors. A question arises here, "how many of them interacted with courts" - only 17% of those interviewed.
"Most of the citizens form their opinion about how the judicial system works either from the press or from someone's words, including from recommendations or opinions expressed previously," said Sergiu Caraman.
The SCM chairman also made reference to a study conducted among the citizens who were entering/leaving the court, and the results show that 60% of those surveyed said the courts provided them with quality services, that they were treated with respect, and these indicators, according to Sergiu Caraman, confirm the change of things in the judiciary.
However, the head of the SCM does not deny the existence of unfortunate cases in the judicial system. For example, in 2024, the judiciary examined almost 250,000 cases, of which 3,500 were criminal cases centering on road accidents.
"No one noticed how the 3,500 cases were examined, but everyone saw that unfortunate case, when a minor died in the accident, and the driver was drunk. The case was tried longer than it should have been and the statute of limitations expired. Respectively, the case was dropped. It was a case that was publicized and, based on it, the citizens formed their opinion that things in the justice system continue to be bad," said Sergiu Caraman.
The public debate entitled "Citizens' trust in justice, developments and assessments" was staged within the project "IPN News Agency for Social Cohesion and a Pro-European Moldova", funded by IMS.
