More than 180 judges, prosecutors, lawyers and prosecution officers from all over the country participated in the second round of trainings dedicated to the recent amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code. The Legal Resources Centre from Moldova (LRCM) together with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), with the financial support of the Soros Foundation Moldova, organised nine seminars in June, providing professionals with a common platform to discuss and understand the main novelties.

Together with the trainers, the participants in the seminars analysed the measures designed to streamline the criminal prosecution and looked at the proposed ways to optimise the trial. The main topics discussed during the trainings related to the competence of the National Anticorruption Centre and specialised prosecutors’ offices, access of the injured party to the prosecution materials and audio-video recording of the prosecution proceedings.

Other key aspects of the new regulations were also explained, namely: the pre-trial hearing, nullities, hearing by videoconference. Legal professionals were also informed about the new rules on retrial, the simplification of the appeals procedure and the plea agreement.

The recent amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code were initiated and coordinated by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Moldova, involving a working group of judges, prosecutors, lawyers, civil servants and civil society experts. These legislative changes were motivated by the need to create a more efficient and accessible justice system for all participants in the criminal case while ensuring respect for human rights.

The participants of the second round of training appreciated both the content presented by the trainers and the opportunity to exchange experiences and discuss concrete examples from the work of colleagues. The mixed format of the seminars proved to be very useful, allowing judges, prosecutors, lawyers and prosecution officers to interact and better understand the specifics of their professions and how to cooperate when carrying out their duties.

Legal professionals can now consult the infographic developed by the LRCM, which includes a brief analysis of the reasons for the lengthy examination of criminal cases, an overview of the main changes to the Criminal Procedure Code in 2023 and a number of ways in which criminal procedure can be improved.

The training series was organised in the framework of the project “Safeguarding human rights through a more transparent and accountable criminal justice systemˮ, implemented by the LRCM with the financial support of the Soros Foundation Moldova. The views and opinions expressed at the event do not necessarily coincide with those of the Soros Foundation Moldova.