Holding Moldova's Judiciary to Account

Welcome to IWPR’s Frontline Update, your go-to source to hear from journalists and local voices at the front lines of conflict.

 THE BIG PICTURE  

Fighting corruption – including in the judicial sector – is among most pressing issues facing Moldovan society today.  

Building public trust and transparent institutions are essential for national security, especially given Moldova’s vulnerability to malign influence operations from Russia and the ongoing war in neighbouring Ukraine. Ensuring justice reforms are also key for the country’s aspirations to join the EU.

In partnership with IWPR, Moldova’s Institute for European Policies and Reforms (IPRE), has developed a toolkit for investigative journalists and civil society analysts to scrutinise the justice sector.

 VOICES FROM THE FRONTLINE 

Most recently, eight reports on the integrity of judges from the Chisinau Court of Appeal have been published, a process soon to be extended to regional courts of appeal.

“The judges in question were forced to respond promptly, in writing, to the questions we asked about the findings, which most of them previously did not do when asked by investigative journalists,” said Viorica Zaharia, who worked on the reports.

“So a first impact is this accountability on their part - they understood that someone could remind them of facts that occurred 10-15 years ago and ask them to explain certain behaviours.” Each forensic report, compiled by a team of journalists and legal experts, looked into the judge’s history of legal decisions as well as property ownership, tax compliance and ethical behaviour.

The resulting data will feed into new and transparent vetting processes for evaluating judicial candidates.

“In the case of at least two judges that I investigated, the reports highlighted serious financial and patrimony discrepancies, which I believe will cause them great problems when passing the vetting procedure,” Zaharia noted. “Also, the thorough documentation allowed the disclosure of past behaviours, such as the lack of independence from political power.”

 WHY IT MATTERS 

Moldova is still dealing with the legacy of the 2014 banking fraud, which saw over a billion dollars disappear from the country’s financial system – without any senior officials being held accountable.

An effective, independent and transparent judiciary is vital for Moldova’s security and democratic stability, and pro-European president Maia Sandu, re-elected in a November 2024 runoff vote, has prioritised combating corruption and restoring public confidence in the justice system. This will be especially important ahead of September 2025 parliamentary elections. 

 THE BOTTOM LINE 

The stronger and more transparent Moldovan governance can become, the better its improved capacity to combat complex threats – including Russia’s hybrid war - will be.

Trust in the rule of law is the benchmark for all democracies, and IWPR continues to support local media and civil society in their demands for integrity and accountability.