Hearing of Svetlana Balmuș, candidate for the position of judge of the SCJ

Member of the Superior Council of Prosecutors, Svetlana Balmuș,  was interviewed by the Vetting Commission as a candidate for the position of judge of the Supreme Court of Justice. The hearing took place in the context of the assessment of the candidate's financial and ethical integrity, which was conducted under the provisions of Law 65/2023, rules subordinate to the law and other regulations.

The following aspects of financial integrity were discussed during the hearing:

- Inexplicable wealth in 2012, 2013 and 2021;

- Unclear financial sources used for opening a deposit account in 2011;

- Candidate's husband's income;

- Family income from work as a lawyer;

- Right of use and habitation of a real estate;

- ECHR cases relevant to the candidate.

After the hearing, the Commission will prepare a report that will include relevant facts, reasons, and a proposal for either promoting or non-promoting the evaluation by the candidate. The report will be sent to the subject of the evaluation and the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM), which will have 30 days from the reception of the Commission's report to issue a reasoned decision.

📜The evaluation of the Supreme Court of Justice judges and of candidates for the position of judge of the Supreme Court of Justice is carried out based on the following principles:

a) independence of the Evaluation Commission;

b) fairness of the evaluation procedure;

c) publicity of the acts issued in the evaluation process;

d) exceptional nature of the evaluation.

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