Evaluation process underway for four additional Supreme Court judge candidates

Four candidates recently registered in the competition for the vacant positions of judge at the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) have been referred by the Superior Council of Magistracy to the Judicial Vetting Commission for integrity verification. Today, the Commission initiated the evaluation process for the following SCJ candidates: judge Oxana Parfeni, from the Chișinău Court, temporarily seconded to the SCJ, judge Ana Cucerescu, from the Chișinău Court, and lawyers Ion Bîtca and Elena Croitor.

In the notification concerning the initiation of the evaluation, the Commission requested that the candidates submit their declaration of assets and personal interests, with updated data for the past five years, including expenses incurred during that period. Additionally, they must provide the Ethics Questionnaire and a declaration listing close relatives who are currently employed or have been employed in the last five years within the judiciary, prosecution services, or public service. These documents must be submitted to the Commission within 10 days from the date of notification.

The Commission will review the declarations and questionnaires, conduct additional investigations, and organize hearings. Following these steps, a report will be drafted, containing a conclusion regarding the fulfillment or non-fulfillment of the financial and ethical integrity criteria, in accordance with Law 65/2023. The report will include a recommendation for either passing or failing the evaluation and will be submitted to the Superior Council of Magistracy.

A total of six individuals is currently undergoing the evaluation process for the position of judge at the SCJ. The candidates come from various segments of the legal system – courts, the bar, and the prosecution. At present, the SCJ is staffed with 11 of the 20 judges provided for by law.

Six individuals are currently under evaluation for appointment to the Supreme Court of Justice. The candidates represent a broad spectrum of the legal system, including the judiciary, the bar, the prosecution, and academic law institutions.

General statistics

Since the beginning of its activity, the Judicial Vetting Commission has received 185 persons for evaluation under the three laws regulating the external evaluation process:

• 63 individuals have resigned or withdrawn from competitions;

• 4 individuals have previously passed the pre-vetting process;

• 94 evaluations have been completed to date.

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