Venice Commission supports mixed mechanism for judge evaluation
The Ministry of Justice's proposed mixed mechanism for verifying judges' integrity, both internally and externally, is endorsed by the Venice Commission. They regard this initiative as "legitimate and justified" and in line with European standards.
The Ministry of Justice has proposed a mixed mechanism for evaluating the integrity of judges. This approach combines internal verification, conducted by the College for Evaluation and Selection of Judges, with external evaluation from the Judicial Evaluation Commission.
According to the authorities, this model aims to strengthen public trust in the judicial system and establish a coherent framework for assessing integrity within judicial self-administration.
The Ministry of Justice states, “The objective is to build a more transparent and credible judicial system, where integrity is verified through clear and predictable mechanisms.”
The Venice Commission adopted its opinion during a plenary session on June 12-13 at the request of the authorities in Chisinau. The Commission assessed that the initiative aligns with European standards and emphasized the need for regulatory improvements.
While the Republic of Moldova has the flexibility to choose the evaluation model and identify the subjects involved, this choice must respect the fundamental rights and guarantees of judges.
The Commission's opinion notes, “Some elements of the draft can be improved to ensure greater transparency and clarity in the evaluation process.”
The Ministry of Justice believes that the Venice Commission's opinion “validates the direction of the reform and will provide legal guidance for finalizing the draft law.”
The authorities are relying on ongoing transparent dialogue with the Superior Council of Magistracy and the College for the Selection and Evaluation of Judges. This process, which began on January 16 and resumed on May 14, 2026, has involved discussions on how to expand and accelerate the evaluation of judges and enhance the College's institutional capacities. The next steps will be determined by consensus after reviewing all recommendations.
The need to accelerate the evaluation processes arises from the current realities of the judicial system. Of the 528 planned judicial positions, only around 400 are currently filled.
The personnel crisis is mainly due to high workloads and resignations resulting from external evaluations. Last year, a judge handled an average of 103 cases per month; this year, the average is 83.
