Vasile Spinei: more democratic is the society, than greater is the number of complaints in court

In Moldova there are registered very few cases of complaints in the court; even limiting access to official information is rather often. Or, more democratic is the society than greater is number of complaints in court, the chairman of the Centre „Acces-Info”, Vasile Spinei, said on Tuseday, 21 February, at a round table organised on the occasion of launching the guide „Access to information. Regulations. Comments. Cases”. In his opinion, the reduced number of complaints in court shows the mistrust of citizens in courts of Moldova. Another explanation could be the tergiversation of trials and execution of sentences, as well as citizens’ juridical education, Vasile Spinei confirmed. The chairman of the Constitutional Court, Victor Puscas, has the opinion that passing from a totalitarian system to a democratic one supposes the functioning of three juridical mechanisms, such as press freedom, protection of fundamental human rights and the independence of judicial authorities. „In the sense of access to information the electronic democracy is an important factor as well. The future is of this source,” Victor Puscas considers. According to the deputy chairman of the Supreme Court of Justice, Mihai Poalelungi, the citizens address very seldom to courts, as they do not know their rights, and also do not trust the courts. In his opinion, another reason would be that many laws are not clear and interpreted differently. The representative of the Independent Journalism centre, Olivia Partac, mentioned at the round table, that access to information is the biggest problem of reporters. She considers that not the juridical education of citizens is the cause of non-addressing in the courts, but the lack of time and money, and also the mistrust in courts. The reporters are not motivated to appeal, as their aim is to get some information, but the trials are tergiversated for a long time and even they win, the information he needed is useless. To get some compensations and sanctioning of the employees could seem attractive, but unreal, Olivia Partac also noted. The editor-chief of the magazine “Cuvantul” (The Word) of county Orhei, Tudor Iascenco, said at the same event, that even he won practically all trials; he lost the enthusiasm to address in the court. According to him, „regional authorities do not take seriously the legislation in force and it does not exist regional councils with right to vote”. „To fight you have to close the office and to work only the judicial procedures”. The guide „Access to information. Regulations. Comments. Cases”, Are included in the project „Juridical assistance and protection of persons asking for information”. This is the seventh publication of the Centre „Acces-Info” and includes passages of the whole legislation regarding the access to information, comments of the local and foreign experts in these matters. The second part of the guide talks about the aspects of strategic fights, as well as the description of 10 trials, starting from applications to court’s final decision. There also are published the recommendations in case of violation of the right to information and a list of laws on access to information. In Moldova, there are in force 400 normative acts with provisions to access to information.