II. INSTITUTIONAL ������������������������������������������ CONDITIONS AND PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE OF PARTICIPANTS 2.1. Introduction and Overview of Judiciary Organization This chapter looks into the functioning of the courts����������������������������� . It begins with the overall physical environment:����������������������������������������������������������������������������� court����������������������������������������������������������������������� premises ���������������������������������������������������������������������� and facilities. Many violations of the rights of defendants, victims and witnesses ������������������������������������������������������������������ that were identified ��������������������������������������������� were not imputable to individual judges, but rather to infrastructural shortcomings. The chapter goes ����������������������� on to examine ������������ the organizational environment����������������������������������������������������������������������������� as observed by monitors, and describes ����������������������������������������������� how ������������������������������������� shortcomings �������������������� in the organization of the Moldovan judiciary ����������������������������������������������������������� have an impact on������������������������������������������ the experience of people in court, their perception of justice and the outcomes of judicial proceedings. ������������������������� The���������������������� chapter then ������������� goes on to discuss ������������ the human environment: the performance ����������������������������������������������� of the main participant������������ ����������������������� s and court support staff��. The criminal process in Moldova is composed of the following three mandatory procedural stages: the criminal investigation phase, the first instance trial and the implementation of the criminal sentence. Optional procedural stages are the following: ordinary appellate stage (appeal and cassation) and extraordinary appellate stages (cassation in annulment and extraordinary review of the case). Criminal investigation is carried out by the prosecutor and criminal investigation officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Center for Combating Economic and Organized Crimes, and the Customs Office. The prosecutor supervises the legality of the actions (or absence of action) of the criminal investigative bodies. The criminal investigation stage, with minor exceptions, does not allow significant input from defence council. This procedural phase is important because the judge receives the case file before starting the examination of the case. The defence lawyer has access to the entire case file when the criminal investigation is finished and he or she can take as much time as needed to become acquainted with the case file. However, time for case file review can be limited by the prosecutor if it can be shown that the lawyer is abusing this right. When the criminal investigation is finished, the case is sent to court. Moldovan courts are organized into three levels. The first level is the District Courts, which are the courts of first instance with general jurisdiction. The first instance courts hear all criminal cases provided by the Special Part of the Criminal Code, except those cases assigned by law to other courts�;32 hear requests and complaints against the decision and actions of criminal investigative bodies, ����������������������������������������������������������������� and ������������������������������������������������������������� examine issues related to the implementation of the criminal sentence and other matters assigned by law.33 District courts are situated in each centre of the administrative units in the country and each sector of Chişinău.34 32 For example, criminal cases committed by soldiers are assigned to military courts by Art. 37 of the Criminal Procedure Code; or crimes of genocide or inhuman treatment are assigned to the Courts of Appeals by Art. 38 of the Criminal Procedure Code. 33 ��������������������������������������� Art. 36 of the Criminal Procedure Code. 34 ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ Moldova has 46 courts of first instance including 5 District Courts in Chişinău, according to Annexes 1 and 2 of the Law on Judicial Organization. 25