Criminal policy of the Montenegrin courts of treasure

The penal policy of Montenegrin courts for the most serious crimes is mild, according to an analysis conducted by the Supreme Court with the support of the AIRE Center from London and the British Embassy in Podgorica.

The analysis, which provides an overview of the most serious criminal offenses for the period 2017-2018. year, was presented at the round table "Penal policy in the practice of Montenegrin courts".

Acting President of the Supreme Court, Vesna Vučković, said that there are numerous criticisms of the penal policy of the Montenegrin courts, that the sentences are too low and that those that were not within the upper limit were pronounced.

"The purpose of the Analysis is to serve as an independent mechanism for monitoring progress in judicial reform, viewed from the point of view of citizens and the actual conditions for access to justice, and the data collected and presented will serve to define proposals for upcoming reforms in the field of justice," said Vučković.

The director of the program for the Western Balkans of the AIRE Center, Biljana Braithwaite, emphasized that the importance of penal policy cannot be overestimated, and therefore, as she stated, neither can the importance of its research.

As reported by the Supreme Court, she thanked and congratulated the team that worked on the Analysis.

"This testifies to the seriousness of this project and the determination of its authors to understand the core of the court's actions and their reasoning in sentencing," said Braithwaite.

According to her, crimes of high corruption and organized crime, which are still in the focus of the European Commission and the requirements of European integration, have not been bypassed either, which, as she stated, gives the document additional value.

Braithwaite said that all this convinces them that they have chosen the right topic and supported a project of exceptional importance.

As she stated, penal policy always causes reactions, and the professional and lay public first comment on the pronounced criminal sanction, which comes as a mirror of the work of not only the court, but also the prosecution and the police.

"Therefore, I believe that with this analysis we have given all these institutions, material and incentive for further improvement of their work and research", concluded Braithwaite.

The British Embassy said that the rule of law is an important priority of the United Kingdom Government, and is part of its efforts aimed at fighting corruption and serious and organized crime.

The deputy of the British ambassador in Montenegro, Steve Eric, said that he was glad that the Criminal Policy Analysis included crimes of high corruption, organized crime and serious crimes.

"The prevention, suppression and punishment of these criminal acts represent your obligation to the citizens of Montenegro, but also an extremely important part of your path to membership in the European Union (EU)," Erik said.

The authors of the Analysis, retired Supreme Court judges Petar Stojanović and Radule Kojović, said that this court, within the framework of the Legal Forum, in this way continued its work on the study and application of the practice of the European Court of Human Rights.

"In order to contribute to the faster fulfillment of obligations in the negotiations on the accession of Montenegro to the EU within the framework of Chapters 23 and 24", the statement added.

The Supreme Court said that the advisers of that court, Bojana Bandović, Katarina Kapuci Lakićević and Ksenija Jovićević Korać, participated in the preparation of the Analysis.

At the round table, as it was announced, the experiences of the criminal policy of the courts of the region were also presented.