A number of 14 judges applied for the three vacancies on the Supreme Council of Magistrates. The General Assembly of Judges, where three permanent members of the Council are to be elected, will take place on January 17. In the last assembly on November 22, none of the candidates gathered the necessary number of votes, IPN reports.

The 14 applicants are: Chisinau Appeals Court judge Ion Muruianu; former president of the Supreme Council of Magistrates Nichifor Corochii; former member of the Council Dina Rotarciuc; president of the Comrat Appeals Court Gheorghe Ulianovschi; president of the Hancesti Court Mihail Macar; president of the Nisporeni Court Grigore Siscanu; Chisinau Appeals Court judges Nicolae Craiu and Sergiu Furdui; Vera Toma of the Balti Appeals Court ; Victor Micu of the Rascani Court; Sergiu Lebediuc of the Military Court; Valeriu Harmaniuc of the Balti Appeals Court; Stefan Nita of the Centru Court, and Gheoghe Balan, of the Botanica Court.

The Supreme Council of Magistrates has 12 members. Six are elected by the General Assembly of Judges, three are ex officio members (minister of justice, prosecutor general, and president of the Supreme Court of Justice), while three are named by Parliament. The members of the Council serve a four-year term.