 | "INHUMAN RIGHTS" are human rights which are trampled by those who are supposed to defend them. Now, European activists want to change that. [more] |  | | |  | FACT AND FICTION blend in how the world sees Pridnestrovie, also known as Transnistria. In this guide, get just the facts and none of the fiction... [more] |
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Highest court in the country overturns unconstitutional laws
As the highest court in Pridnestrovie, the Constitutional Court is not afraid to overturn laws which it views as contrary to the country's constitution. Demonstrating a vigilant and independent judiciary, it has often ruled against the president and parliament.
Members of the bench of Pridnestrovie's Constitutional CourtTIRASPOL (Tiraspol Times) - Despite ill-intentioned foreign allegations to the contrary, most people in Pridnestrovie feel that they live under a fair system of truly independent powers. Citizens in the country show confidence that their highest court does what it is there for: To uphold the country's Constitution.
That's the conclusion of Tiraspol Times independent survey of the activities of the Constitutional Court of the Pridnestrovskaia Moldavskaia Respublica. The court deals with matters of constitutional justice and is similar to the U.S. Supreme Court, forming the cornerstone of an independent judiciary.
- Protection of private property rights
A review of past case history reveals that the court is vigilant in defense of the Constitution, often contrary to the President, and on occasion overturning laws when it feels that the legislative branch is not doing its best.
The highest court in the country especially takes a strong defense of private property rights, among other things, and have in the past overturned tax laws when the court felt that, in the words of the Court, they "disrupted the right to private property" as guaranteed by Article 37 of Pridnestrovie's Constitution. Other laws which have promptly been nullified by the high court have included laws with a retroactive reach and laws attempting to hand too much power to the executive.
Along with the parliamentary Ombudman, the court considers itself a watchdog for citizens' rights. In opinion polls among the population it is deemed one of the country's most trusted and impartial institutions.
- Nation building efforts intensify
Overcoming a rocky start, Pridnestrovie has now fortified the transparency of its democratic institutions in recent years; realizing that a reliable and objective independent judiciary is one of the most important components for a country which is trying to achieve a successful outcome of post-Soviet nation building.
The court system is based on Pridnestrovie's hundreds of years of European judicial traditions. Unlike nearby Moldova, which historically was under the sway of an islam-influenced Ottoman culture, Pridnestrovie has history of being part of Poland, Lithuania and Russia, along with many German influences and even a sizeable Swiss immigration in its past.
Pridnestrovie, also known unofficially as Transnistria, declared independence in 1990, one year earlier than Moldova. The Constitutional Court of Pridnestrovie builds on centuries of shared Western culture and a Western legal tradition with respect for the rule of law. For the past 16 years, no Moldovan laws have been in force within the territory declared as independent by the Pridnestrovskaia Moldavskaia Respublica.
A conference held at the European Parliament in Brussels concluded that unrecognized states like Pridnestrovie need a way to be heard by the world. "It is necessary to create and sustain permanent mechanisms of involvement and consultation of unrecognized state entities in the international community". This will benefit everyone, says the event's official statement. . . 
