Janis Mazeiks on the Resignations of Judges of the Court of Appeal

European Union (EU) Ambassador to Moldova Janis Mazeiks commented on the resignation of 20 out of 40 judges of the Chisinau Court of Appeal, which is currently examined by the Vetting Commission. The EU diplomat said he did not know why the judges decided to leave the judiciary on their own initiative. “Probably, some of them knew they would not go through this process,” Mazeiks said. “I don’t know the real reason, but it’s likely that some of them knew they wouldn’t survive the process,” Janis Mazeiks said in a programme on tv8. The EU diplomat also commented on the justice reform, one of the most ambitious commitments undertaken by Moldova on its path to EU accession. “It is unpleasant that changes are not happening faster, but it is very important for these changes to happen correctly. Things are happening, and this is important for us, as both the Superior Council of Magistracy and the Prosecutors' Council have already passed the Pre-Vetting. Now it is rather important that the Prosecutor General be appointed, as this is one of the most prominent vacancies,” Janis Mazeiks added. It is noteworthy that the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM) approved the resignation of 20 judges from the Court of Appeal Chisinau on May 7. Consequently, only 20 judges will remain within the court, subject to evaluation by the Vetting Commission. On the same day, the SCM accepted the resignation request of Judge Ion Danaila from the Court of Appeal Cahul. Most judges cited “personal reasons” for their decision to leave the system.