Unprecedented situation in Moldova justice. The Interim Chief of High Council of Magistrates (CSM) Dorel Musteaţă admitted we could get to a situation that we would have two components of CSM. 

Musteaţă said about the CSM members dismissed, about those who challenged the decision; and the new component that will be appointed next week by the General Assembly of Judges.

The current members, even though they were dismissed, tried to organize a meeting but were forced to put it off due to lack of quorum.

Seven of the ten members of the CSM were presented at the planned meeting.

When asked what will be next, Dorel Musteaţă replied:

- Will we have two CSMs?

- Probably, if the judges go and vote.

It should be mentioned that on October 25, the General Assembly of Judges will elect other members of the SCM. Moreover, the magistrates insist that the decision to dismiss CSM members is a perfectly legal one. 

In addition, the Chisinau District Court based in Râşcani sector rejected last week the request of five SCM members, who demanded the annulment of the decisions to dismiss them. 

On October 1, 2019, the U.S. Embassy in Moldova issued a statement expressing concerns about recent developments in Moldova’s justice system. The statement referred specifically to a recent decision from the Extraordinary General Assembly of judges, which voted on September 27, 2019 to remove six current members and one alternate member of SCM.