On the results of the activities of the courts of general jurisdiction in 2024

The President of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic was presented with a report on the work of the Supreme Court and courts of general jurisdiction in 2024. The extended meeting was attended by the Chairman of the Supreme Council Alexander Korshunov, the Vice-Speaker of the Parliament, the Head of the Committee on Legislation, Protection of Rights and Freedoms of Citizens Galina Antyufeeva and her deputy Grigory Dyachenko, as well as the Head of the Committee on Economic Policy, Budget and Finance Viktor Guzun.

The Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic Adrian Penkovsky made a detailed report. there were 34084 cases and materials in the proceedings of city and district courts (5.2% less than in 2023) in 2024. Of these 54% were civil, 22% were administrative offenses, 14% were judicial control and execution of sentences, and 7% were criminal cases. The speaker focused on the indicators for each area. He paid special attention to compliance with procedural deadlines, emphasizing that the timeliness of justice is important for strengthening citizens' trust in the judicial system. He cited figures. For example, 65% of criminal cases were considered within three months. But the number of criminal cases pending for more than a year has increased at the same time: if there were 26 of them in 2023, then 31 in 2024. 

Speaking about the judicial workload, Adrian Penkovsky reported that 62 judges administered justice in city (district) courts in 2024. Each had 549 cases in production per year on average. The average monthly workload is 52.3 cases. But if you look at the breakdown by cities and districts, the figures will differ significantly: for example, the workload was 30 cases in Kamenka, and judges from Bendery considered twice as many per month. The speaker noted that the imbalance has become less pronounced than in previous periods at the same time. The Chairman instructed the relevant structures to consider the possibility of redistributing staff between the courts based on the actual workload. It was noted that four people were appointed to the positions of city and district judges in 2024. The same number of judges terminated their respective powers during the reporting period (two of them were appointed as judges of the Supreme Court). Nine judicial positions remained vacant: four in Rybnitsa, two each in Tiraspol and Slobodzeya, and one in the Grigoriopol District Court. As for the Supreme Court, it was represented by nine judges, with an average monthly workload of 72.8 cases per judge. The staffing level of the courts is 397 units, 32 are vacant. Approximately the same number of employees were dismissed and hired – about fifty during the year. The highest staff turnover is observed among court secretaries. 

The report included information on the work to improve the logistical support of the courts. Repair work was carried out in the buildings of the Supreme Court, as well as city and district ones in 2024: Kamenka, Bendery, Tiraspol. Repairs were also started in Slobodzeya district in May, but they were suspended due to the fault of an unscrupulous contractor. Only 17% of the work has been completed.

The speaker focused on the topic of parole. It was noted that the number of materials reviewed decreased by 9.2% compared to the 2023 data (138 cases). 71.7% (99 units) are petitions of convicts (a third of them were satisfied), 28.3% on the basis of submissions from the penal authorities (34 out of 39 were satisfied). Five prisoners were released due to illness.

The Chairman of the Government of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic Alexander Rosenberg and the Prosecutor of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic Anatoly Guretsky spoke about the work of the courts with conclusions and recommendations. A proposal was made to move to a system of automated distribution of cases among judges among other things. The initiative requires further discussion. They talked about the need to improve the mechanism for compensation for moral damage.

The work of the courts of general jurisdiction at the end of 2024 was recognized as satisfactory.