The State Parliament will consider at the beginning of February, at an extraordinary session initiated by the Government, proposals for amendments to the regulations on the Judicial Council and judges, the State Prosecutor's Office and the Constitutional Court, which envisage extending the right of judges and prosecutors to a salary supplement of 30 percent of their basic salary until the end of the year.
This right, in accordance with the amendments to the aforementioned laws that were voted on by MPs at the end of July last year, was guaranteed to them until January 1, 2026. Therefore, as stated in the proposals, it is necessary to amend these regulations again so that judges and prosecutors can exercise the same right this year as well.
The proposals before the deputies state that the changes stem from the principle that judges and state prosecutors have the right to a salary in accordance with the dignity of the judicial office and the responsibility of the judge.
It is stated that the salaries of judges and prosecutors guarantee their independence and material security, so the only possible interim solution was to prescribe a supplement to the function in organizational laws, in order to increase the salaries of judges until the Law on Salaries and Other Rights Related to the Performance of Judicial and Constitutional Court Functions is adopted.
"The amendments stipulate that the right of judges and prosecutors to a salary supplement for their position is extended until December 31, 2026," the proposed amendments state.
Human Rights Program Coordinator at the Center for Civic Education (CCE) Ivan Vukcevic recently announced that wages in the judicial system remain one of the key problems.
"The salaries of judges and prosecutors are low and do not correspond to the complexity and scope of the work they perform. For example, the salary of most judges in the Basic Court in Podgorica is around 1.300 euros, which is unacceptable considering the number of cases, pressures and responsibilities they carry," he said.
Vukčević said that the temporary solution introduced through a 30 percent supplement to the position cannot be considered sustainable.
"A special law that would permanently regulate the employment rights of judges and prosecutors has been announced for years without results, although its adoption is also foreseen in strategic documents. Despite this, work on the law has slowed down significantly, which indicates a lack of political will," he added.
Vukčević said that this approach is in direct contradiction with the opinions of the Venice Commission from 2022 and 2024, as well as with the findings of the European Commission, which, as he stated, clearly indicates that Montenegro must have a special law regulating the status and salaries of judges and prosecutors, taking into account the specificity of their function and the need to protect the independence of the judiciary, instead of being regulated by the Law on Salaries of Public Sector Employees.
President of the Association of Judges of Montenegro Miodrag Pešić He recently said that the Association of Judges accepts the extension of the right of judges and prosecutors to receive a bonus until the end of the year as a necessary, but exclusively temporary measure. He told the "Mina" agency that the Association of Judges believes that extending transitional solutions cannot be a substitute for a permanent and systemic solution.
THEY ARE ALSO CHANGING THE LAW ON THE CAPITAL
At the session on February 2, MPs will also consider a proposal for amendments to the Law on the Royal Capital, by which the Government proposes that the amount for regular financing of the Royal Capital be increased from 0,4 to 0,5 percent of the budget, while the portion of funds earmarked for projects be reduced from 0,6 to 0,5 percent.
The proposed changes, as stated in the document, aim to create conditions for the smooth operation and continuity of financing of the spending unit of the Royal Capital in 2026, in accordance with the Law on Budget and Fiscal Responsibility. Such a solution, as it is written, would enable the regular fulfillment of the Royal Capital's current obligations and prevent additional borrowing.
The proposal states that one of the reasons for passing the law is to enable the evaluation and financing of all projects defined by the Law on the Royal Capital, not just capital projects.
"Namely, Article 20, paragraph 2 of the Decision on the Development of the Capital Budget stipulates that projects implemented in accordance with the Law on the Royal Capital, as well as projects implemented from EU donations, are not subject to evaluation and assessment in accordance with this decision, which resulted in the Royal Capital in the previous period being unable to finance projects such as projects for the preservation of cultural, historical and natural heritage and projects for the valorization of tourism potential, which also contribute to development and new jobs, because according to the aforementioned decision they are not considered capital," it was stated.
The first man of the Royal Capital Nikola Đurašković recently stated that the goal of the changes is to ensure the stable and uninterrupted functioning of Cetinje.
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