Judges, prosecutors from all regions of the country, along with legal experts gathered to discuss stronger human rights safeguards in the Republic of Moldova’s criminal justice system. The goal was to review complex cases arising in their professional activity and agree on practical steps to make criminal proceedings fairer and prevent future violations of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Participants actively discussed how to ensure fair trials and protect key rights such as the presumption of innocence and equality between prosecution and defence. They focused on the practical application of human rights safeguards, with particular attention to judicial reasoning and administration of evidence.

The round table enhanced the dialogue between judges, prosecutors and legal experts, where they reviewed court decisions where the Republic of Moldova was found to have violated the right to a fair trial under Article 6 of the European Convention. The discussions also looked at recent changes to criminal law and the developments in the jurisprudence of the Supreme Court of Justice and how they are applied, highlighted cases that reveal weak safeguards, and presented European standards on fair trials, including legal certainty and equality of arms.

The round table served as a platform to identify solutions to strengthen legislation, improve court practices, and ensure proper evaluation of evidence, while promoting the exchange of good practices that respect European human rights standards.

The event was organised within the framework of the Council of Europe Project “Strengthening the human rights compliant criminal justice system in the Republic of Moldova phase II”, which is part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova for 2025-2028.