Hearing of witnesses to be allowed by videoconference

Chisinau, Aug 16 /MOLDPRES/- Witnesses will be allowed to be heard by videoconference during the criminal proceedings. Today's issue of the Official Journal published the promulgation decree and the law on amending some normative acts. Also today, the document entered into force.

The document was set up by the Ministry of Justice and covers the request for advisory opinions, the limits of the judgment of appeal and other aspects of criminal procedural legislation.

Thus, requesting an advisory opinion will be a right, not an obligation of the courts. Advisory opinions will be issued within a period of up to three months, as their request has the effect of suspending the pleadings. The Criminal Procedure Code and the Civil Code have also been supplemented with the criteria for requesting an advisory opinion.

The bill also proposes to amend the Criminal Procedure Code to allow witnesses to be heard by videoconference at the prosecution stage. The provision concerns persons who are abroad, serving their sentences in prisons, hospitalized or suffering from locomotor disabilities and are unable to be present at the scene of the criminal proceedings.