The President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, has submitted a proposal to the Parliament to elect Predrag Krstonijević, a judge of the High Court in Podgorica, as a judge of the Constitutional Court, based on the fulfilled conditions for election and the results of detailed interviews with the candidates, the Public Relations Office of the President of Montenegro announced today.
"Seven candidates applied for the public call, including Predrag Krstonijević, judge of the Higher Court in Podgorica, Maja Šćepanović, head of the Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Kolašin; Mira Kontić, deputy director of the Institute for Medicines and Medical Devices; Nikola Golubović, member of the Commission for the Protection of Rights in Public Procurement Procedures, Siniša Bjeković, Ombudsman of Montenegro; Nataša Radonjić, head of the Directorate for the Organization of Justice at the Ministry of Justice, and Elvis Duraković, lawyer," the statement said.
The Public Relations Office of the President of Montenegro added that all candidates went through an interview with Milatović and his expert team.
"The discussions covered the most important constitutional and legal issues, standards of independence of the judicial function, as well as a detailed review of professional references," the statement reads.
The Public Relations Office of the President of Montenegro also provided Krstonijević's biography:
Judge Krstonijević was born in 1981 in Pljevlja, where he graduated from the "Tanasije Pejatović" Gymnasium. He graduated from the Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade, after which he began his career as a judicial trainee at the Basic Court in Pljevlja. He also worked in the legal profession, which gave his professional profile additional breadth. He was elected as a judge of the Basic Court in Kotor in 2013, and in 2022 he was elected as a judge of the High Court in Podgorica.
With over 18 years of experience in the judiciary, of which more than 12 years as a judge, Judge Krstonijević has a stable and clear professional path. He has passed the professional, judicial and bar exams, and has continuously improved his skills in the areas of human rights, the practice of the European Court of Human Rights, international legal assistance and judicial ethics.
This call was made because the term of Constitutional Court Judge Desanka Lopičić expires at the end of the year.
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The Constitutional Court must not remain vacant.
The statement also states that Milatović's cabinet has simultaneously invited parliamentary groups and MPs to additional consultations if they believe it is necessary to learn more about the proposal.
"The Constitutional Court must not remain unfilled. It is an institution that must protect citizens, safeguard the Constitution and ensure the rule of law. Therefore, it is important that the President's proposal for the election of a Constitutional Court judge be placed on the Assembly's agenda as soon as possible, i.e. that the process is completed quickly, responsibly and in the interest of the state," the statement reads.
Public call announced on November 28th
On November 28, Milatović issued a public call for the election of a judge for the Constitutional Court.
On November 25, in the second round of voting, after the unsuccessful first round a month and a half ago, the Assembly elected Jovan Jovanović as a judge of the Constitutional Court, while the remaining two candidates, Mirjana Radović and Mirjana Vučinić, did not receive the support necessary to hold the same position.
Jovanović and Radović were candidates of the parliamentary Constitutional Committee, and Mirjana Vučinić was proposed by Milatović.
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Bonus video:
