Vetting and Justice Reform in the Republic of Moldova: Study Visit to The Hague by a Delegation from Moldova’s Superior Council of Magistracy and Superior Council of Prosecutors

Last week, the Center for International Legal Cooperation (CILC) had the pleasure of welcoming to The Hague a delegation from the Republic of Moldova, bringing together members of the Moldovan Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM) and the Superior Council of Prosecutors (SCP). The visit was organized within the “Vetting and Justice Reform in the Republic of Moldova” project, co-funded by the European Union and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented by CILC since 2023.

The programme featured visits to key judicial institutions in the Netherlands, including the National Office of the Public Prosecution Service, the Council for the Judiciary, the District Court of Zeeland-West-Brabant, and the Supreme Court of the Netherlands. The speakers – who included senior judges in the Dutch judiciary, the Chair of the national selection committee for judges, the President of the Council for the Judiciary, and the Prosecutor-General at the Supreme Court of the Netherlands – provided their Moldovan counterparts with extensive explanations about the functioning of the Dutch justice system.

The visit directly supports the process of judicial vetting in the Republic of Moldova by exploring the institutional conditions that ensure the integrity of those delivering justice from the moment of their selection to the end of their term. Participants were introduced to the rules and procedures guaranteeing integrity at all levels of the judiciary, and throughout every stage of the judicial career cycle. Emphasis was placed on the fact that judicial integrity is not an isolated process or one-off assessment, but rather a robust system of institutional safeguards embedded within the justice system.

The CSM and CSP displayed a consistently high level of engagement and commitment throughout the study visit, actively contributing to every discussion. They provided valuable insights into the legal context of the Republic of Moldova and continuously drew comparisons between the Dutch and Moldovan judicial systems, demonstrating a clear commitment to identifying practices that could support ongoing judicial reform.

Overall, the study visit proved to be a great exchange of practices and perspectives. The relationship between the judiciaries of the Republic of Moldova and the Netherlands remains one of close cooperation and mutual learning.