New Constitutional Court law approved by government

Chisinau, Dec. 11 /MOLDPRES/- Constitutional Court will work under a new law approved by the government. The new version was drafted by merging the Law on Constitutional Court and the Constitutional Jurisdiction Code.

According to the government's communication department, the document ensures a clear, coherent and efficient system for functioning the Constitutional Court and includes provisions on the powers of the institution, eligibility criteria and the selection of candidates for the position of judge.

Under the law, judges will be obliged to give up party membership in order to exclude political influence. At the same time, in order to qualify for the seniority pension, the judge will serve a full term of 6 years instead of the previous 5 years.

The document also regulates the disciplinary liability of judges and the sanctions. Depending on the seriousness of the misconduct, judges risk a warning or removal from office. The sanctions have not been provided for by law so far.

Another issue concerns the Constitutional Court's competence to verify before ratification the compatibility of international treaties with the Moldovan Constitution.