Judges at first instance may be directly elected by citizens
The judges from the first instance could be elected by citizens, as well as a lot of deputies on uninominal circumscripties. This requires the amendment of the Constitution. That is why the Democratic Party has prepared a draft Parliament decision to instruct the Legal Commission of the Legislature to draft a bill amending the Constitution which will be subject to public debate.
According to analysts, the initiative will empower judges and increase confidence in the justice process.
"In the past two years, we have done more reforms in this area than governments have done in previous years, including we have made all the reforms agreed with our foreign partners." These reforms in the field of justice were intended to strengthen the independence of the judiciary, make judges work for people as it is in countries with advanced democracies, but the perception persists that this area is not exactly independent, or that interest groups intervene in the act of justice, so the Democratic Party has prepared a project of Parliament's decision to the Parliament's Legal Commission to draft a draft law amending the Constitution that would allow today's judges to be elected by the people", said DPM chairman Vlad Plahotniuc.
Experts in law believe that if judges are directly elected by the people, they will be more responsible for responding directly to the people.
"The way of choice should strengthen the independence of the judges, and the assessments and the responsibility will be the responsibility of the citizens. Reports and accountability will also be given to the citizens, and this must certainly have an impact on the quality of justice", said Vitalie Catana, expert constitutionalist.
Lawyers say that this form of democracy works effectively in many European countries and not just. These are Belgium, Switzerland, Japan or the USA. This allows magistrates to be closer to people's needs.
"It is effective because it is a judge in a special district where it also has meetings with the citizens. We have barricaded the judges, we receive them with various complaints, they have to have contact with the citizens, not to influence the citizens, but to see with which worries in fact face citizens", said Pavel Midrigan, lawyer.
The Draft Law is to be debated firstly with civil society and interested professional groups, then be put to the vote in the legislative.