Minister of Justice Fadei Nagachevski said a Superior Council of Magistracy that lacks authority and credibility affects trust in the whole judicial system. The minister didn’t attend today’s meeting in which the SCM reinstated five judges investigated in the case of Laundromat into their posts, IPN reports.

According to Fadei Nagachevski, the reformation of the SCM is a priority of the Ministry of Justice, being included in the bill to amend the Constitution that will be submitted to Parliament for consideration after the Constitutional Court gives its consultative appraisal.

The minister said the reform will take place this way: approval of the amendment of the Constitution agreed with the CoE and the Venice Commission; approval of the justice sector strategy and plan of action; initiation of the legislative procedures according to the approved plan, including for strengthening the existing institutions so as to assess the prosecutors and judges.

Fadei Nagachevski said the judges who lack integrity will be removed from the system, but through the agency of a predictable normative framework and according to the best international practices.

“I remind that the bill to adjust the normative framework on the regression against judges is waiting to be given a final reading by Parliament. I repeatedly call on the participants in the electoral race not to affect the justice secretor reformation process by populist and deceitful statements,” the minster posted on Facebook.