Vignette: In a trafficking case the judge reprimanded the defendant because she came to court repeatedly without a lawyer. The defendant answered that her mother had not yet signed a contract with a lawyer. The judge replied, “When you went to Turkey you didn’t ask your mother to sign a contract with a lawyer, but now your mother is the one who has to go to the defence lawyer to talk and to pay.” In some cases monitors noted that judges failed to react appropriately when prosecutors or defence lawyers pressured witnesses�������������������������������������������������� . Judges ������������������������������������������������ continued asking questions of defendants and witnesses beyond the point where clarification had been achieved, displaying a biased attitude or otherwise inappropriately interjecting themselves into the adversarial proceeding. In several cases monitors noted that judges asked��������������������������������������� �������������������������������������������� witnesses questions while defence and prosecution lawyers were either passive or did not ask any questions at all. In all courts, both in Chi���������������������������������������������������������������������� ş��������������������������������������������������������������������� inău and in the Southeast, monitors noted judges using inappropriate expressions and linguistically incorrect phrasing. The interchangeable use of Russian and the state language persists in all courts. Judges demonstrated an overuse of informal dialect and jargon. Judges continued to receive parties in their offices before the start of proceedings without explaining the ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� purpose ����������������������������������������������������������������������� to other part���������������������������������������������������������� ies������������������������������������������������������� or trial participants. In many cases judges continued to demonstrate either an overfriendly or overly antagonistic attitude toward one of the parties���������������������������������������������������������������������������������� , expressed ������������������������������������������������������������������������������� through inappropriate comments, criticism of pleadings and dismissal of questions as irrelevant without giving the party an opportunity to explain���������������� the relevance��. Monitors noted that such inappropriate attitudes were m����������������������������������� ostly������������������������������ exhibited towards the end of the working day. In all courts monitored it was noted that hearings were less solemn and formal when they were held in judges’ offices or by only one judge in a courtroom. Judges tend to not wear their robes in such cases, are more informal with the parties and do not follow all procedural requirements. The hearing is often interrupted by outsiders who������������������������� ���������������������������� drop by simply to greet the judge, obtain a signature or look for someone or something. Monitors noted that a few judges, commendably, took all necessary measures to ensure proper solemnity������� ,������ even when presiding in their offices, such ������������������������������������������������������� as ����������������������������������������������� hanging signs on their doors asking not to be interrupted. Wearing o������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ r not wearing����������������������������������������������������������������������� robes����������������������������������������������������������������� may not in itself affect the course of the trial, but is a good indicator of the solemnity of the trial’s atmosphere. �������������������������������������� The judge’s robe distinguishes him or her from the other trial participants and gives more solemnity to the proceedings. ��������� M�������� onitor��s� recorded a slight improvement in all courts located in Chişinău during the second monitoring period as compared to the first monitoring period, except for the Centru District Court where a slight decrease was noted. 38