The judges in Ungheni will have a new more modern and larger head office. The building of the Palace of Justice started on September 25. A sum of 51 million lei was allocated for the construction works. The president of the Ungheni Court Vasile Schiopu has told IPN that the works will last for 20 months.

“More such palaces are needed as we do not have buildings intended specifically for the courts of law of Moldova, which would fully meet the European requirements,” said the judge. He added that the money for constructing the Palace of Justice in Ungheni will be allocated from the €60 million assistance offered by the European Union for reforming the justice sector of Moldova.

At the initial stage, only judges from Ungheni will work in that building. In the future, they will be joined by colleagues from the neighboring districts. One of the goals of the justice sector reform strategy is to strengthen the local courts by building such palaces that would serve two-three districts each.

According to Vasile Schiopu, the new palace of justice will have two stories with four courtrooms on each floor, two stories for judges and assistants, one story for the archive and for relations with the public and a technical story. The building will respect a number of European technical standards, including separate entrances to courtrooms for judges and for the sides involved in the trial so that they do not meet before the hearing.

Contacted by IPN, mayor of Ungheni Alexandru Ambros said 25 ares of land were transferred from the property of the local public authorities to the central authorities for erecting the building on them.