Judges Embrace Change in the Court

Ion Druta, chief judge of the Botanica District Court in Chisinau. August 17, 2009. Ion Druta, chief judge of the Botanica District Court in Chisinau, admits he was initially skeptical about what the Moldova Governance Threshold Country Program (MGTCP) was offering to him and his colleagues.  “I am sorry to say that, at first, I brushed aside the program’s attempts at partnership,” he says.  “But, we’re moving ahead with changes—better late than not at all.” Judge Druta is perhaps one of the most ambitious cheerleaders of judicial reform today as he proudly gives a tour of the facility.  The facility now features more computers linked by a local area network and a new software system known as the Integrated Case Management System (ICMS).  The software can automatically publish court decisions on the court’s website, as well as store and keep track of all the documents and hearings associated with each case.  It even randomly assigns judges to cases.  The system vastly improves access and transparency both for court staff and the public.   In his tour, Druta also points out the digital audio recording systems that have been installed by the program in all of Botanica’s courtrooms.  The audio recording of hearings means that all parties can request a copy of the recording in order to have accurate and timely minutes of hearings.  All of these changes lead to more efficiency in court management, a major objective of the USAID-supported MGTCP project. “Now, at the touch of a button I can access our files that staff once had to search and find for me,” Druta says.  “What used to take up a lot of staff time can now be done in an instant,” he adds. He has taken the opportunity of the new automated systems to invest his own budget in improving courtroom facilities.   “People used to criticize us for the lack of ease in accessing court records but now we have simple procedures in place to better serve citizens who request information,” Druta says.  “People are now seeing the improvements we’ve made and we’re getting fewer complaints.” Judge Druta admits that change is sometimes difficult to embrace, at first.  But he sees more and more staff and judges benefiting from the cutting-edge technology and increasingly accepting it.   Druta says that while the MGTCP officially ends September 30, 2009, he intends to continue advocating for continued investment and support.  “I don’t intend to stop with things because now the public we serve has had its expectations raised.”

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