European Union Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection Michael McGrath said that the Supreme Court and the Judicial Council are key institutions for strengthening the rule of law and implementing reforms, and that the European Union recognizes Montenegro's progress in this area.
As announced by the Supreme Court, the president of that institution, Valentina Pavličić, and the president of the Judicial Council, Radoje Korać, discussed key challenges and priorities in the process of reforming the Montenegrin judiciary, in the context of European integration, at a meeting with McGrath.
"During the talks, special emphasis was placed on improving the efficiency of courts and reducing the number of backlogged cases. The President of the Supreme Court informed the interlocutors about the results of the Unified Program for Resolving Backlogged Cases, emphasizing that the Supreme Court has achieved the best results in the last few years and that the program is consistently implemented at all levels of the judicial authority. Further improvement of guidelines for handling cases of organized crime and high-level corruption was announced, with the support of international partners, with the aim of shortening the duration of proceedings and further strengthening legal certainty," the Supreme Court said in a statement.
They also added that they discussed challenges related to the evaluation of judges, especially Supreme Court judges.
"...taking into account the 2024 reforms and a significant number of newly elected judges in the system. It was pointed out that there is a need to find solutions that will ensure the continuity of the work of the Supreme Court, as well as lower-instance courts, with full respect for the Constitution, applicable laws and European standards, in constant dialogue with European institutions. In this context, the issue of the retirement age of Supreme Court judges was also raised, as an urgent issue for ensuring the continued quality of the work of the judicial system and preventing the creation of new backlogs," it states.
Korać, as reported, pointed out the current constitutional solutions regarding the composition of the Judicial Council, recalling that the Minister of Justice has not participated in its work for a long time, in accordance with European Union standards, and that a proposal for amendments related to this issue, as well as the method of electing members of the Judicial Council, is in the parliamentary procedure.
"During the meeting, the cooperation of the judiciary with security structures was also discussed. It was emphasized that the courts act independently and in accordance with the law, and that court decisions are made exclusively on the basis of facts and evidence presented in the proceedings. It was emphasized that institutional cooperation is functional, with full respect for the constitutional role and competences of the judiciary, as well as the principle of separation of powers. The participants of the meeting pointed out the importance of preserving the independence of the judiciary, especially in cases of special public interest, as a key prerequisite for strengthening the rule of law and citizens' trust in the judicial system," the Supreme Court said in a statement.
McGrath emphasized that the Supreme Court and the Judicial Council are key institutions for strengthening the rule of law and implementing reforms, and that the European Union recognizes Montenegro's progress in this area.
"He emphasized that positive developments are visible, and that it is necessary to continuously invest additional efforts in order to close all negotiation chapters by the end of 2026. The interlocutors confirmed their commitment to further strengthening the independence, efficiency and accountability of the judiciary, as well as their readiness to continue close cooperation with the institutions of the European Union, with the common goal of building a strong, professional and European-harmonized judicial system in Montenegro," the statement concluded.
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