Moldovan lawyers warned on Thursday that state encroachment threatens judicial independence, speaking at an international conference in Chisinau addressing artificial intelligence, professional secrecy, and stalled European human rights treaties.
The fourth edition of the International Conference of the Moldovan Bar Association brought together legal professionals and public officials from Moldova, Romania, Ukraine, France, and Azerbaijan. Participants debated the delicate boundary between law enforcement powers and procedural safeguards.
Constitutional balance and the role of defense counsel
“The independence of the lawyer is not a privilege of the profession, but a guarantee for the citizen,” said Anatolie Barb?car, president of the Moldovan Bar Association. He stressed that any statutory restriction on personal liberties must maintain legal grounds, a legitimate purpose, and strict proportionality.
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Council of Europe treaty stalls at ratification stage
Conference speakers highlighted the Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer, adopted in March 2025 and signed by Moldova two months later. The treaty establishes international safeguards against warrantless searches, wiretapping, and arbitrary interference.
However, human rights attorney Vadim Vieru of the Promo-LEX Association warned that diplomatic signatures provide no real protection without domestic ratification. The convention requires eight ratifications, including six from Council of Europe member states, before entering into force.
“We have a treaty signed by nearly everyone, yet activated by none,” Vieru said, recalling multiple European Court of Human Rights rulings condemning past state abuses against Moldovan attorneys. “What prevents us from moving from signature to ratification?”
