The second appeal examined by the Supreme Court of Justice of Republic of Moldova fulfils two tasks: assurance of the uniform law application by all courts of justice (public task) and protection of the rights of trial participants by rendering the decision on the merits of a case (private task). The evolution and content of the second appeal’s tasks, their correlation and effects (interaction of the principles of optionality and legality, limits of consideration and court’s empowerments) are subject to analysis in the article.