Confidential advice on ethical issues, discussed by judges and prosecutors in round tables

Consolidating integrity and ethical standards both in the judicial system and in the prosecution system was the goal of two round tables, organized on May 29 and 30, 2024, by the Council of Europe Office in Chisinau, in partnership with the National Institute of Justice.

The activities, with the generic name "Confidential counseling on ethical issues as a tool to strengthen the integrity of the judicial system and the prosecution system", were part of the "Action against corruption in the Republic of Moldova - Phase 2" project, financed by the International Bureau for Combating Drugs and Law Enforcement of the US State Department and implemented by the Council of Europe.

At the opening, the participants - representatives of the Superior Council of Magistrates, of the Superior Council of Prosecutors, judges and prosecutors, were greeted by Falk Lange, Head of the Office of the Council of Europe in Chisinau, and Adrian Cerbu, Interim Director of the National Institute of Justice. The events were facilitated by the trainers of the Council of Europe, the international experts – Jeremy McBride and Horațius Dumbravă.

Several topics were discussed during the round tables, including the objectives and benefits of a confidential counseling system, international standards and requirements for addressing ethical dilemmas in the justice system (opinions of the advisory councils of European judges/prosecutors, as well as GRECO recommendations), the use of ethical counseling in courts and prosecutors' offices, the roadmap for improving the existing system in the Republic of Moldova regarding the ethical counseling of judges, etc.