Liquidation of economic courts of law accepted

The Supreme Council of Magistrates agreed to the liquidation of the economic courts of law, but rejected the bill obliging the judges to submit interest statements, Info-Prim Neo reports. The Ministry of Justice asked the Supreme Council of Magistrates to pronounce on a number of bills. Under the bill for modifying the law on the status of judge, the non-presentation of the interest statement by the judge is considered a disciplinary deviation. The members of the Council said yet the stipulations concerning the conflict of interest that the judges are obliged to respect are contained in other documents and norms. At the same meeting, the Council approved of the legislative amendment that obliges the judge to notify the president of the court of law of any attempt to influence the trial. The Supreme Council of Magistrates also examined the bill providing for the transfer of the powers of the economic courts to the common law courts. Minister of Justice Alexandru Tanase said the fate of the entire national economy cannot be decided in economic courts that occupy only two floors. The amendments were accepted by seven votes for and four against. The transfer of powers means in fact the liquidation of the economic courts and constitution of a new system based on specialized sections of the Court of Appeals. Prosecutor General of Moldova Valeriu Zubko, who is a member of the Council, said the Prosecutor's Office will follow the given model and will replace the Military Prosecutor's Offices with specialized divisions. The Supreme Council of Magistrates also decided that the documents adopted by the Council and the Disciplinary Board will be published on the Council's website in order to ensure greater transparency.