On 7-8 October 2024, seven representatives of the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM) and four judges of the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) of the Republic of Moldova visited the headquarters of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. The visit was organised in view of enhancing the awareness of the representatives from the SCJ and SCM regarding standards and best practices for upholding the integrity of the judiciary, improving the efficiency of the judicial system, and ensuring that the Republic of Moldova fulfils its commitments to the Council of Europe.

The visit also aimed at building connections between the SCJ, the SCM, and representatives of different entities of the Council of Europe, including the Registry of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), that would contribute to strengthening collaboration and the effective implementation of Council of Europe standards related to justice and human rights.

In his welcoming speech, Claus Neukirch, Director of Programme Co-ordination of the Council of Europe, emphasized that “the study visit takes place at a pivotal time when the Republic of Moldova is advancing crucial justice reforms aimed at aligning its legal system with European standards, a key step towards strengthening citizens' trust in the judiciary”.

Stela Procopciuc, ad interim president of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Republic of Moldova, highlighted that “the visit provides a timely opportunity to enhance the understanding and implementation of European standards, which is of utmost importance as citizens are expecting concrete and positive outcomes from the ongoing justice reforms”.

Aliona Miron, head of the delegation from the Superior Council of Magistracy of the Republic of Moldova, expressed her appreciation for the visit, viewing it “as a highly valued opportunity to exchange experiences and access firsthand information”. She highlighted that “the participating representatives are committed to adopting best practices and applying them within their institutions”.

The SCM and SCJ delegation held discussions with representatives of several bodies of the Council of Europe: the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission); the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO); the Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE); the Superior Courts Network (SCN), the Monitoring Department of the Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), the Co-operation Programmes Division. The delegation also met with the representatives of the Registry of the ECtHR and the Department for the Execution of the Judgments of the ECtHR. Besides various aspects of the independence of the judiciary, issues related to the application of Protocol No. 16 to the European Convention on Human Rights were also discussed during the respective meetings.

The visit was organised within the framework of the Joint Project of the European Union and the Council of Europe "Support to the Justice Reform in the Republic of Moldova" and Council of Europe Project “Strengthening the Institutional Capacity of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Republic of Moldova”, which is part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova 2021-2024.