INJ audiences participated in the international THEMIS competition

The team of the National Institute of Justice from the Republic of Moldova participated in the prestigious THEMIS competition of magistracy schools, held under the auspices of the European Judicial Training Network (EJTN) between May 27-30, in Valletta, Malta.

The INJ audience – Eugen Patrașcu, candidate for the position of judge, Crina Marin, candidate for the position of prosecutor, and Vlad Manole, candidate for the position of prosecutor, competed in semifinal A: The European Union and criminal procedural law with ten other teams from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Netherlands and Hungary.

Under the guidance of INJ trainer Ghennadi Epure, prosecutor in the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office, the audience developed a study with the generic title "How much does your vote cost?" about the phenomenon of electoral corruption and its effects on democratic systems. The research presented by the candidates for the positions of judge and prosecutor was structured in three essential directions: the analysis of vote influencing mechanisms, the assessment of the consequences of corruption in electoral processes and the identification of effective strategies to prevent and combat these illegal practices.

In the semi-final, the audience gave a 30-minute presentation, followed by a debating session with members of an international jury and representatives of another randomly selected team. The young people's performance was assessed against rigorous criteria, including the quality and originality of arguments, ability to critically analyze, proposed solutions, references to relevant case law, as well as coherence of presentation and communication skills.

The participation of the team of the National Institute of Justice of the Republic of Moldova in this year's THEMIS competition was possible thanks to the financial support of the project implemented by the International Organization for the Development of Law (IDLO) in collaboration with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) - "Promoting integrity and transparency for a modern justice sector".

The THEMIS European competition is held annually and addresses topics relevant to the evolution and adaptation of judicial systems to social and legislative changes in Europe. Aiming to promote the exchange of knowledge and experiences in the legal field between justice system professionals from various European countries, the event is an opportunity for young lawyers to test their skills in a competitive environment and improve their knowledge in various areas of law.