Minister Veronica Mihailov-Moraru: Justice reform was necessary to create a modern system that serves the public interest
On Monday, October 13, during the "La 360 de grade" show on Radio Moldova, Minister Veronica Mihailov-Moraru highlighted several key achievements of the justice reform. These include the establishment of new self-administration bodies within the Superior Council of Magistracy and the Superior Council of Prosecutors, the reform of the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ), the modernization of the Constitutional Court law, the vetting process for judges and prosecutors, and the enhancement of the capabilities of specialized anti-corruption and organized crime prosecutors' offices.
She stressed that the justice reform remains complex, but in the two and a half years since she took office as minister, essential transformations have taken place.
Results of the reform after two and a half years
According to the minister, the justice reform meant “a reset” of the entire system by creating new self-administration bodies — the Superior Council of Magistracy and the Superior Council of Prosecutors—institutions that set professional and moral standards for the entire profession. Veronica Mihailov-Moraru noted that this step was necessary to “clean up the system” and to form a modern justice system that functions in the public interest.
Another major result is the reform of the Supreme Court of Justice, which the minister considers “the most important achievement of the current government”.
A new law on the Supreme Court was adopted, forming a new composition of the court with judges evaluated for ethical and financial integrity, and its activity became more uniform and transparent. The reform grants the Supreme Court expanded powers to unify judicial practice, aiming to eliminate situations where similar cases received contradictory solutions.
The law on the Constitutional Court was also modernized, aligned with the standards of the Venice Commission. At the same time, the extraordinary evaluation process for judges and prosecutors continues, extended until the end of 2026 with the support of the European Commission.
"It is a large-scale exercise, carried out by independent commissions, and its duration depends on the complexity of the checks and the resistance to changes that we have gradually managed to overcome", explained the minister.
Continuity of the vetting process, among the priorities of the following mandate
Veronica Mihailov-Moraru emphasized the need to complete the processes that have been started. And one of the most urgent actions, according to the minister, is completing the reform of the Supreme Court of Justice.
"We want to complete the reform of the Supreme Court of Justice by filling all vacant positions. (...) Once the vacant positions are filled, the files will be examined faster and the citizens will feel the effect", added Veronica Mihailov-Moraru.
She added that it is also crucial to complete the vetting in the system, a process that "over 134 judges and prosecutors have already gone through". This process must be accompanied by the filling of the remaining vacant positions, especially after the reorganization of the judicial map, for the reform to be effective.
Referring to human rights, the official said that numerous laws have been adopted to increase the protection of vulnerable categories, including victims of domestic violence and children. Additionally, a new law on access to information of public interest has been enacted in accordance with the Tromsø Convention. This forces state institutions to be more transparent and more efficient in communicating with citizens.
Another important step is the digitalization of the justice system, which already allows for online hearings and more efficient judicial procedures. At the same time, progress has also been made in modernizing the probation, penitentiary and judicial expertise systems, to ensure better conditions and fairer trials, the Minister of Justice said on Radio Moldova.
