CRIMINAL LEGAL PROTECTION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE IN THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

Abstract

Just as we cannot conceive a future without knowledge of the past, we cannot appreciate the past without protecting cultural heritage. Legislative interventions, including criminal measures, aimed at protecting cultural heritage, are essential and welcome. In addition to the importance attributed by the legislature to cultural heritage, the legal and penal mechanism for its protection is more effective than other forms of state intervention. It is crucial for the response of authorities to be efficient, both in normative terms and in law enforcement. Otherwise, criminal charges risk becoming merely declarative and ineffective. This is the theme we have proposed to analyze in this endeavor, identifying both deficiencies and solutions for their remedy.