Judges will be protected from violence and threats
These cases caused a wave of alarm in the judiciary and prompted the drafting of a bill aimed at strengthening the security of judges. On Monday, parliament held hearings with judges and prosecutors, who unequivocally supported the bill, believing that the independence of justice depends, among other things, on their physical security.
Strictly according to regulations
From the Interior Ministry’s point of view, the threat response system works within regulations and depends on the existing security infrastructure in courthouses. Vagif Umbatov, head of the security department of the State Enterprise “Servicii Pază”, explains: “Every post is equipped with panic buttons. In some buildings the buttons are also installed in the courtrooms, but in most cases they are only at the physical security posts at the entrance to the courts. If the situation escalates, the button is pressed and a task force consisting of two guards, equipped and armed, arrives within 3-5 minutes. If there are signs of administrative offense or crime, representatives of the territorial police are called”.
Judges want younger judges
In the Chisinau court, there are complaints against the “Servicii Pază” SE, including those related to the “advanced age of the guards”. Dan Sîrbu, judge of the Center sector, notes that they are 60-70 years old and “do not cope with their duties”.
The Chisinau court spends 3.5 million lei annually on guards. Mobile teams that guard the corridors during the working day are paid extra. According to Judge Livia Mitrofan, the services received do not meet expectations.
“One of the employees of the mobile team in Buiucani sector is a person with disabilities and hearing impairment,” Mitrofan said.
“We are all human beings.”
The Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) will give an opinion to the new draft law as soon as possible.
“We support the adoption of a normative act providing sanctions for aggressive behavior in courts. This concerns not only meetings, but also the activity of judges in general, threats against them and their families,” said Stela Prokopchuk, acting chairperson of the VSP.
Veronika Roška, chair of the Commission on Law, Appointments and Immunity, believes that the safety of people is “a fundamental issue for the entire justice system.”
“We believe that persons subject to such actions should have minimum guarantees that the law is on their side,” said Roshka.
The draft law will change – there are too many opinions and it still looks, to put it mildly, crude. At the same time, it is noted that in addition to judges, there are categories that are at even higher risk. For example, investigators involved in searches, criminal investigators, police officers and other representatives of law enforcement agencies. All of them face an increased threat in the performance of their official duties. For these categories, protection is already provided by existing legislation. It would be incorrect to separate judges and prosecutors from them and place them in a special framework, because, as one prosecutor noted, “first of all, we are all human beings and only then specialists.
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