Moldovan parliament speaker refers to possibility of lawyers' evaluation

Parliament Speaker, the president of Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) Igor Grosu supports the idea of evaluating the integrity of lawyers. He noted that this profession needed an honest internal analysis and reforms similar to those enforced in the judicial and prosecutorial systems.

"Two years ago, nobody believed that the evaluation of judges and prosecutors could be accomplished. Nonetheless, we have shown that it is possible. Now, it is time for lawyers to have a sincere discussion within their guild. They know best what the problems are and must come up with solutions," said Igor Grosu.

The official emphasized that he respected the legal profession and acknowledged the essential role played by lawyers in the administration of justice, but pointed out serious infringements in the system.

"I know many honest lawyers who do their job professionally. But there are also cases where some have helped delay trials, including those initiated against individuals who bought votes or tried to influence democratic processes. You cannot remain indifferent here. You cannot invoke the right to defense as an excuse for sabotaging justice," said Grosu.

The speaker also criticized the practice of some lawyers registering simultaneously in multiple cases across different regions of the country just in order to delay trials.

"When a lawyer rules to represent one client in Balti and another in Causeni on the same day, it is obvious that the goal is to delay procedures. Such matters need to be discussed and corrected," he added.

Igor Grosu concluded by urging the legal community to initiate internal debates and actively contribute to the reform process.

"Lawyers must be part of the solution. It is time for the guild to clean up its ranks and rebuild society's trust," Grosu added.

On the same day, Justice Minister Veronica Mihailov-Moraru said that the idea launched by President Maia Sandu on the evaluation of lawyers' integrity (vetting) is more of a political message about public perception of the legal system than a concrete reform initiative. However, the official recognizes that, although lawyering is a liberal profession, measures are needed to enhance transparency, efficiency and accountability within the guild.

"I believe that, more than anything, the Presidency has expressed a political message regarding its opinion on the legal system. Certainly, the extraordinary evaluation exercise applies to judges and prosecutors. In Moldova, the extraordinary evaluation exercise has been implemented and is ongoing, inspired by the experiences of Albania and Ukraine," said the justice minister at a news  conference.

According to her, the legal profession has its own rules and mechanisms, but the need for internal reforms is not excluded. Mihailov-Moraru noted that vetting in justice was introduced as an exceptional measure, in a context of high corruption and extremely low public trust in the judicial system.

"The extraordinary evaluation exercise must be completed by the end of 2026, as it is an exceptional measure, not a permanent one. Let us remember the situation from 2019–2021, when corruption was at a very high level and trust in justice was extremely low. This prompted the launch of this mechanism," the minister concluded.

On October 16, during a TV show, President Maia Sandu said that lawyers should be subject to external evaluation procedure.