The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry has heard that only 38% of candidates passed Moldova’s pre-vetting process for judicial self-governance bodies.
The vetting process assessed candidates on issues including financial integrity, tax compliance and adherence to ethical standards.
World Bank Senior Financial Sector Specialist Laura Pop is testifying before the commission on Wednesday, where she is drawing on the experiences of Kenya, Moldova, Ukraine and Albania to illustrate different approaches to judicial vetting.
Pop told the commission that Moldova recorded the lowest pass rate among the countries discussed, with just 38% of candidates successfully completing the vetting process.
She said the consequences for candidates who failed the process were also less severe compared with the approach taken in Albania.
“So this commission had, I think, the lowest passing rate. So 38% of the candidates passed,” Pop said.
She added that the nature of the consequences was an important factor when comparing Moldova’s system with Albania’s.
Pop’s testimony forms part of the commission’s broader examination of mechanisms used to assess integrity and accountability within judicial institutions.