Independent investigative journalistic report. Judge – Radu Țurcanu

This report aims to assess the integrity, independence and efficiency of judges and prosecutors aspiring to various positions within the judiciary and prosecutor’s office in the Republic of Moldova. The report is an independent journalistic investigation aimed at providing a clear and transparent picture of the candidates, in the context of ongoing reforms in the justice sector. Under this project, more than 30 similar reports are expected to be published, all aimed at supporting transparency and accountability in the judicial system of the Republic of Moldova.

The report is produced within the project “Ensuring the integrity, efficiency and independence of the justice system in Moldova – #Justice4Moldova”, implemented by the Institute for European Policies and Reforms (IPRE), in partnership with the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR). The project is funded by the European Union and co-financed by the Soros Foundation Moldova. The overall goal of the project is to strengthen the role of civil society and the media in promoting the independence, integrity, efficiency and accountability of the judicial system in the Republic of Moldova.

The report was prepared by a team of experts consisting of Viorica Zaharia (investigative journalist), Mădălin Necșuțu (investigative journalist), Olga Diaconu (jurist) and Victor Felișcan (jurist and lawyer). They collaborated to assess candidates using well-defined methodologies and collected information from open sources and restricted access databases, as well as through requests for information from public and private institutions, interviews and participation in relevant events, including court hearings.

The methodology used to prepare the report includes two distinct components:

• The methodology for selecting the subjects of independent journalistic investigation – detailed in Annex no. 1.
• The methodology of independent journalistic investigation of candidates aspiring to positions in the justice system – described in Annex no. 2.

All reports were prepared in accordance with Law no. 148/2023 on access to information of public interest and Law no. 133/2011 on the protection of personal data. The reports benefited from the review of IWPR international experts, Halya Chyzhyk (lawyer and expert on judicial reform in Ukraine), Dawid Szescilo (professor of public law and public administration, international expert in good governance in Poland) and Mihail Gorincioi (lawyer and IPRE associate expert).