Justice Becomes More Transparent and Accessible in Comrat

The court in Comrat is better equipped to provide justice to local citizens due to renovations completed under the U.S.  Government project Moldova Governance Threshold Country Program (MGTCP).  Comrat's court is the third in Moldova to be redesigned in a way which will increase public access to the court.  The other newly designed courts are in Ungheni to the west and Rezina to the north.  MGTCP is administered by the United States Agency for International Development, as part of its support for improved legal systems in Moldova. At the ribbon cutting ceremony in Comrat, U.S.  Ambassador Asif J.  Chaudhry, said, "You, in the legal profession, have what you need in order to do the best possible job, to give the people justice that is blind and does not favor the rich or the well-connected.." Valentin Mejinschi, Deputy Prime Minister of Moldova stated: "Reforming the judicial system is an important step in Moldova’s long-term development and in successfully finalizing Moldova’s transition to a market economy and democracy." Guests attending the opening ceremony included Minister of Justice Vitalie Pirlog, Bashkan of Gagauzia-Yeri Mihail Formuzal, and Judge Clifford Wallace of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals of the United States. The significant physical changes include more courtrooms with good conditions where citizens can witness proceedings, a modern IT system that will publish all court decisions on the internet, copiers to facilitate free public access to court archives, and a separate entrance and exit for prisoners which will significantly improve the safety of the people visiting the court.   Important administrative changes include new computer technology that automates document processing and randomly assigns cases to judges, audio equipment installed in the courtrooms to serve as a record of all proceedings, and training for all judges and court staff in new tools such as ethics handbooks and "bench books" which provide guidelines for what kinds of sentences should be used in which types of cases.  The bench books particularly will improve the consistency and completeness of judicial decisions. Of the four Moldovan courts that are piloting the new reforms, three have been renovated.  The Ungheni district court opened in October, and the Rezina district court opened in December of last year.  Important improvements completed at the pilots courts such as having most public services conveniently located within a few steps of the entry, and increased transparency, efficiency, and security, are now being repeated at many other courts.  Renovations at the district court in Comrat will open doors to a more transparent and modern judicial system.   For more information contact Ludmila Ungureanu or Victoria Guzun at tel.: (22) 508-222, 508-224. #### The MGTCP is a two year initiative funded by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and managed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).  The goal is to assist the Government of Moldova to make policy and system reforms that will promote good governance, reduce corruption, and improve public service, particularly in the judicial, tax and health sectors.  The MGTCP is implemented by Millennium-IP3 Partners, LLC.   With funding from the United States government, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provides economic and humanitarian assistance in more than 100 countries to provide a better future for all.