Establishing an internal strategic vision is a cornerstone for any public-sector institution and its management to plan further resources to implement its mandate. The Council of Europe supports the development of an institutional strategy for the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM) of the Republic of Moldova, aiming to advance and guide institutional reforms within the SCM and its specialised boards for the upcoming years, informed by the priorities of the justice sector reform and EU accession path.

This support is the result of a desk research and an extensive and far-reaching process of consultation with different stakeholders organised in the Republic of Moldova in February 2024 aimed at interviewing key justice sector actors, civil society representatives and the donor community, to assess the state of play and SCM’s needs on the main intervention areas of the strategy. The findings and recommendations deriving from these exercises were summarised in a document developed for the SCM.

The document provides an analysis of the main contextual issues for the SCM, insights with regard to the SCM’s institutional needs and planned actions for the next years. It also contains suggestions for intervention areas and immediate short-term strategic objectives, recognising the importance of proceeding ambitiously but methodically, for long-term sustainability. 

The document outlines actions with regard to the following main intervention areas, reflecting SCM’s priorities, competences and resources but also the expectations that internal and external players have in regard to the SCM’s activity:

• Strengthening judicial independence and integrity of judges
• Increasing the quality of justice
• Increasing the efficiency of justice
• Increasing the transparency and accountability of Justice and the SCM

The support is provided in the framework of the following projects implemented by the Council of Europe:

1) “Action against Corruption in the Republic of Moldova – Phase 2”, funded by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, United States Department of State

2) “Support to the Justice Reform in the Republic of Moldova”, co-funded by the European Union and co-funded and implemented by the Council of Europe.