Embassy Enhances Continuing Legal

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CHISINAU 000430 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/UMB, EUR/ACE, DRL/AE, INL-CAMPBELL DOJ FOR OPDAT-NEWCOMBE, OIA-TISI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM PREL MD SUBJECT: Embassy Enhances Continuing Legal Education with International Law Seminar Sensitive but Unclassified. Please Protect Accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) Summary: During an April seminar, the Embassy, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, and the Government of Moldova's (GOM) National Justice Institute trained 57 judges and prosecutors to understand Moldovan law and relevant UN conventions; taught them how to seek evidence from countries such as the U.S. and Council of Europe member states; and described other forms of legal assistance such as extradition and confiscation of criminal proceeds. The seminar is the first instance of Moldovan law enforcement officials receiving credit for Continuing Legal Education (CLE) via a program developed and partially funded through USG assistance funds. More importantly, it has given us a foot in the door to influence the curriculum and training of Moldovan judges and prosecutors. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) Held April 28-30 at the relatively new National Institute of Justice (NIJ),this jointly organized seminar served as a text-book example of cost-effective donor coordination as well as successful collaboration, on the logistical and substantive levels, between the USG and the GOM. Two Moldovan NIJ staffers and two USDOJ attorneys (including the RLA) provided instruction. The Moldovan prosecutors and judges who attended received 8 hours of credit towards their continuing legal education (CLE) requirements. This is the first time (which Embassy Chisinau is aware of) that prosecutors and judges were awarded official credit for a course developed and partially funded through USG assistance funds. ¶3. (SBU) In Moldova, the concept of mandatory CLE is still new, but it is now entrenched in the laws and regulations governing prosecutors, judges and defense attorneys. For example, the Law on the Prosecutorial Service, which went into effect on March 17, 2009, requires prosecutors to participate in at least 40 hours a year of CLE organized by the National Institute of Justice or other higher education institutions. This law calls for prosecutors to be responsible for their continuing education, but also designates the Institute as the entity with primary responsibility for this role. Likewise, judges are also required to have 40 hours of CLE a year. ¶4. (SBU) Established by law in 2006, the Institute is the GOM's academy for candidates seeking appointment as judges and prosecutors; it receives funding for operations as a separate line item in the state budget. The Institute is governed by a 13-member board, consisting of seven members who are designated by the Superior Council of Magistrates, four members by the Prosecutor General's Board, one member by the Ministry of Justice and one by the Senate of the State University of Moldova. The Institute's first graduating class of 29 students (10 judicial candidates and 19 prosecutorial candidates) finished the 18-month course in the spring of ¶2009. ¶5. (SBU) On several occasions, Director Fistican has expressed an interest in entering a memorandum of understanding to memorialize our cooperative efforts. With the growing awareness of the need for continuing legal education among Moldova's justice sector professionals, the Institute promises to be an important partner for USG-funded training assistance for prosecutors and judges. Comment -------------- ¶6. (SBU) The Embassy plans to foster continued collaboration with the NIJ. This will give us a chance to influence the curriculum, present courses that receive the GOM stamp of approval, and enhance our access to the NIJ. Increased access means that we can better accomplish Mission CHISINAU 00000430 002 OF 002 objectives such as Trafficking in Persons training, law enforcement and judicial reform, and exposure of Moldovan professionals to the U.S. counterparts. The law requiring CLE for judges and prosecutors is already increasing demand for more training at the NIJ, and we plan to help meet that demand. Chaudhry