Republic of Moldova - May 2024

Twenty of the 40 judges on the Chisinau Court of Appeals resigned in early May, days before the Vetting Commission was scheduled to begin examining judges and their immediate family members’ personal finances for signs of potential corruption or impropriety. The Court was already understaffed due to previous resignations and 37 of 57 positions are now vacant. This marks the largest mass resignation of judges in Moldovan history, surpassing the 16 judges of the Supreme Court of Justice who resigned in February 2023, also reportedly to avoid vetting procedures. As in previous instances, the pace of judicial proceedings is expected to slow significantly as a result. The vetting process is part of the government’s work to root out corruption and bring the country’s judiciary in line with international legal standards, while judges hold it is a violation of the principle of the separation of powers.

Sources: Ziarul de Gardă (1), Newsmaker, Ziarul de Gardă (2)