An extended meeting of the Collegium of Courts of General Jurisdiction of Pridnestrovie was held. The topic was summing up the results of 2024, their discussion and analysis. The work was attended by top officials of the state, heads of government bodies, court chairmen, representatives of ministries, departments, and judges. The speaker was the Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic Adrian Penkovsky.
Statistics: 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.
Vadim Krasnoselsky recognized the work of the courts of general jurisdiction at the end of 2024 as satisfactory. The President expressed gratitude to the judges and staff of the apparatus for their work. Vadim Krasnoselsky focused on some aspects of their activities. He recalled the principle that he considers immutable: it is better to leave a person who has broken the law unpunished than to convict an innocent person. The PMR President recommended working on mistakes for each. In addition, he considers that these materials should be used as teaching materials (examples and their analysis) in the educational process when training specialized professionals.
Another topic that the President raised is the tools of committing administrative offenses. According to Vadim Krasnoselsky, the mechanisms for their removal should not only be clearly spelled out, but also applied in practice.
The PMR President spoke about the institution of parole. Vadim Krasnoselsky drew attention to the high-quality preparation of materials by the State Penitentiary Service when applying for parole for convicted persons, which is confirmed by the announced indicators: 34 out of 39 petitions were granted. The President recommended that the Ministry of Justice continue and intensify this work. He emphasized that he considers it appropriate to more often use other forms of punishment not related to imprisonment. Isolation is justified if the convicted person poses a danger to society, Vadim Krasnoselsky noted. The President cited data on the number of people held in places of deprivation of liberty: if there were 3600 of them at the beginning of 2017, then 1350 as of January 1, 2025. Such a reduction indicates a reduction in the burden on the State Penitentiary Service and the state as a whole, Vadim Krasnoselsky emphasized. He mentioned the upcoming amnesty. It is planned to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory and the 35th anniversary of Pridnestrovie. The law-in-draft is under consideration by the Supreme Council. Conclusions are being prepared by various structures. The President emphasized that the opinion of the judicial community on this matter is also important.
