The Government of Denmark provided €2 million for implementing the Council of Europe’s project “Support to criminal justice reforms in the Republic of Moldova” until the end of 2017. The project is designed to support the reformation of the prosecution service and the Office of the People’s Ombudsman and to facilitate the putting into practice of the prevention mechanism at the Office of the People’s Ombudsman. It was launched in a news conference on July 15, IPN reports.
In the opening of the event, Jose-Luis Herrero, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Chisinau, said that Moldova has cooperated fruitfully with the Council of Europe during 20 years and the given project, to support the reformation of the justice sector, is another example of this partnership. Moldova receives technical assistance from the Council of Europe, while the experts exchange experience, but the offered assistance should be seen and felt, which is to lead to changes in the country.
Tatiana Termacic, head of the Human Rights National Implementation Unit of the Council of Europe’s Directoate General of Human Rights, said the Moldovan authorities already approved a number of reformation strategies, including the justice sector reform strategy for 2011-2016, which is an important roadmap.
Acting minister of justice Vladimir Grosu said he is hopeful that the first important step in the justice sector reform – the adoption of amendments to the law on the prosecution service - will be soon taken. Immediately after the given bill is passed in the final reading, a number of normative regulations will be approved for the legal provisions to be implemented.
Vladimir Grosu stated that a bill to amend the Constitution’s provisions concerning the Office of the People’s Ombudsman has been drafted to give this institution greater weight. As many as 900 surveillance cameras were installed at the national penitentiaries to prevent ill-treatment and more such cameras will be set up. A lot of work is yet to be done as all the specialized institutions must be reformed.
Prosecutor General Corneliu Gurin said the bill on the prosecution service was put forward in a very important period and he hopes that it will be soon adopted, while the given project’s activities will help to put it into practice.
People’s Ombudsman Mihail Cotorobai said the Office of the People’s Ombudsman was reformed by making changes to the legislation last year. For the institution to work normally, it needs a number of regulations and normative documents that are to be adopted by the MPs. The Office will have a new face and will cooperate with the Council of Europe in carrying out the future activities.
