On the results of the PMR Supreme Court activities in 2024

The Pridnestrovian Parliament heard information about the work of the Supreme Court of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic in 2024. The Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic Adrian Penkovsky addressed the deputies of the Supreme Council. He spoke in his report about the judicial practice in considering criminal, civil, and administrative cases and materials, both in the first instance and in cassation.

Adrian Penkovsky noted that the main workload of the judicial panels of the Supreme Court of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic falls on considering cases in cassation.

It is also noted that 577 civil cases were received by the cassation instances of the Supreme Court of the PMR in 2024 (544 cases in 2023).

Adrian Penkovsky noted the participation of the judge of the Criminal Division of the Supreme Court of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic in the development of the draft of the new Criminal Procedure Code. The Supreme Council adopted the draft of the new version of the codified law in the first reading at the plenary session on March 5. As noted by the head of the relevant parliamentary Committee on Legislation, Protection of Citizens' Rights and Freedoms Galina Antyufeeva, the new Criminal Procedure Code will improve the work of law enforcement agencies, optimize the timeframes for considering criminal cases, supplement preventive measures for defendants with new institutions among other things: house arrest and a ban on certain actions, and clarify the procedure for cassation and supervisory appeal.

Work continues on the creation of an electronic automated system "Electronic legal proceedings of courts of general jurisdiction in the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic".

The Supreme Council deputies after the report asked their questions to the Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic. The parliamentarians were interested in the work to reduce the timeframes for criminal proceedings. The President of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic set this task in January 2024 in his traditional address to state authorities. One of the possible solutions, the President indicated, is to increase the number of mobile court hearings held directly in penal institutions. Chairman of the Supreme Court Adrian Penkovsky noted that the Supreme Court together with the Ministry of Justice clarified the procedure for considering cases in penal institutions, provided that there is no need for other civilians to participate in the process last year. Speaking about reasonable timeframes for legal proceedings, Adrian Penkovsky said that in the spring of 2024, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic adopted a resolution "On compliance by courts with procedural deadlines in considering cases and eliminating red tape". Several judges were brought to disciplinary responsibility for delaying the consideration of cases in court in 2024. Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council, head of the parliamentary Committee on Legislation Galina Antyufeeva inquired about the dynamics of the number of granted petitions for parole. The Deputy Speaker recalled that in March 2024, the Supreme Council adopted amendments to the Criminal, Criminal-Executive, Criminal Procedure Codes and the law "On institutions and bodies executing criminal penalties in the form of imprisonment". The Pridnestrovian legislation spelled out specific criteria that the court must take into account when applying parole to convicted persons.

The Supreme Council took note of the information on the activities of the Supreme Court of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic for 2024, unanimously approving the relevant resolution. It was prepared by the Committee on Legislation, Protection of Rights and Freedoms of Citizens. The head of the Committee Galina Antyufeeva noted the effective interaction between the Supreme Court and the relevant parliamentary Committee in the work on the draft of the new Criminal Procedure Code.

The Chairperson of the Committee on Legislation, Protection of Rights and Freedoms of Citizens Galina Antyufeeva said that in previous years, the parliament had questions about informing the population about the progress of cases in the courts. There are no problems in this area today. Up-to-date information is regularly published on the official social media pages and messengers of the Pridnestrovian courts. A more detailed report on the work of the Supreme Court of the PMR will be presented to the President Vadim Krasnoselsky on Friday, March 21, at an extended meeting of judges of the courts of general jurisdiction of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic.