LAW FACULTY STUDENTS DISCUSS THE ATTRIBUTES OF A GOOD JUDGE IN THE LIGHT OF FUTURE JUSTICE REFORM

About 30 participants – students of the Law Faculty of the Moldova State University – gathered on 8 December 2021, to discuss what it takes to make a good judge, in the light of the future Justice sector reform in the Republic of Moldova. The roundtable was organised jointly by the Moldova State University (MSU) Law Faculty and the EU-funded project “Support to the Implementation of the EU High Level Advisers’ Mission.”

The event aimed at increasing the genuine understanding of the concept of the independence of judiciary and promoting the understanding of integrity among future perspective judges and stakeholders of the justice sector.

Iulian Rusu, State Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, talked about his experience as a student of the Law Faculty, encouraging young graduates to apply for careers in the public sector:

“We have embarked on a very ambitious journey to reform the justice sector and we need ‘young blood’ on this way. There are many changes happening and it is high time to get involved,” stressed the official.

In his turn, the Dean of the Law Faculty, Sergiu Brinza, underlined the importance of such discussions for future actors of the law sector, expressing gratitude to the European Union for the support in various education initiatives.

The EU High Level Adviser on Justice and Prosecution, Satu Seppanen, dwelt on her 20+ years of experience as a judge: before joining the EU High Level Advisers’ Mission in Moldova, she served as a judge on both civil and criminal cases in Finland.

The students, divided in several working groups, discussed what are, in their opinion, the attributes that make a good judge, taking into account the justice sector reform in the Republic of Moldova; and then shared their thoughts and findings in presentations. They engaged in lively discussions and used the event as an opportunity to meditate on the necessary qualifications of being a judge.

Cristina Gavriliuc, student in the IV year, considers such events ‘very useful and welcome’:

“We have been studying the theory of what it means to be a judge since I year, but it is very interesting and useful to discuss also practicalities. The invited speaker provided important insights and it was exciting to discuss with colleagues our ideas on this. I do intend to pursue my career here, in Moldova, so sharing thoughts on the practical side of the justice sector was certainly very helpful.”