The special panel set up within the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) to examine appeals against the decisions of the Pre-Vetting Commission resumes its work, in its new composition, after a two-month break.

According to information published on the Supreme Court’s website, on Tuesday, September 26, four applications of candidates for membership in the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM) and the Superior Council of Prosecutors (SCP) will be examined, and on Wednesday – an application for review filed by SCJ judge Anatolie Turcan, who did not pass the integrity assessment and in respect of whom the SCJ issued a decision rejecting the application to challenge the decision of the Pre-Vetting Commission.

Tomorrow, the SCJ will hold the first hearing to examine the application of the candidate for the position of member of the SCM from among non-judges Ana Tipa. She was part of the second group of non-judges put forward by the Parliament. The Commission announced on 10 August that it was not going ahead with the evaluation. Tipa refused to publish the non-promotion decision. Her public hearing also referred to her failure to comply with the legal regime on the declaration of wealth and personal interests during different periods of time. In particular, the members of the Commission sought to clarify the issues of the candidate’s failure to submit declarations of income and personal interests during her childcare leave in 2014-2016, the non-declaration of bank accounts of a family member in 2012-2013 and a donation received in 2013.

Also on Tuesday, the SCJ will hold the fourth hearing to examine the appeal of former SCJ judge Iurie Bejenaru and the third hearing in the case brought by the judge of the Cahul Court, Taraclia seat, Marina Rusu.

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The only candidate for the position of member of the PSC, for whom the examination was resumed, is the prosecutor of the Chisinau Prosecutor’s Office Gheorghe Graur.

The last court hearings in which the appeals of the candidates for membership in the PSC and SCM, who failed the integrity assessment, were examined took place at the end of July, on the 28th, when the interruption “for an indefinite period” was announced.

At the beginning of September, the composition of the special panel set up within the SCJ to examine appeals against the decisions of the Pre-Vetting Commission was changed.

The changes came in the context of the decision of the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM) to partially admit on Friday, 25 August, the requests for resignation of two of the members of the Complex – the interim president of the SCJ Tamara Chișca-Doneva and magistrate Ion Guzun.

Thus, the Special Panel will be composed of: the new interim president of the SCJ Viorica Puica, judges Mariana Pitic and Oxana Parfeni, and alternate member Ion Malanciuc.

Viorica Puica said that the previously appointed members – Mariana Pitic and Ion Malanciuc – will continue their work in the special panel according to the law.

The SCJ’s special panel ordered on 1 August the re-evaluation of 18 candidates for SCM membership and three candidates for SCP membership. Judges Tamara Chișca-Doneva, Mariana Pitic, Ion Guzun and Ion Malanciuc were among the members of the panel.