Supreme Court: Latest Eurobarometer survey shows growing citizen trust in the judicial system

The latest public opinion survey published by the European Commission as part of the "Standard Eurobarometer 105" publication confirms a significant increase in the trust of Montenegrin citizens in the national judicial system, which is a strong confirmation that reform processes in the area of ​​the rule of law are yielding visible and measurable results.

This was announced by the Supreme Court of Montenegro.

According to them, the data from that survey show that citizens' trust in the Montenegrin judicial system has increased by as much as 29 percentage points compared to the previous survey from autumn 2025.

While, as they claim, trust in the judiciary previously stood at around 20 percent, the latest results show that today almost half of citizens, or 49 percent, express trust in the Montenegrin judicial system.

"At the same time, a significant decline in distrust in the judiciary was also recorded, which decreased by as much as 26 percentage points. This trend represents one of the largest improvements in the perception of the judiciary among the countries covered by the research and indicates a fundamental change in citizens' attitudes towards judicial institutions. It is particularly significant that the results of the research come during a period of intensive activities carried out by the Supreme Court of Montenegro with the aim of improving the efficiency, accountability and transparency of the work of the courts, as well as strengthening the legal security of citizens," the statement emphasizes.

In this context, as stated by the Supreme Court, an important contribution was made by the Unified National Program for Resolving Backlogged Cases, which was initiated and developed by the Supreme Court of Montenegro, with the aim of systematically reducing the number of unresolved cases and accelerating court proceedings.

"The program represents one of the key mechanisms for improving the efficiency of the judiciary and confirming institutional readiness to provide citizens with timely and effective judicial protection. The Eurobarometer results confirm that citizens recognize the efforts being made to strengthen the independence, professionalism, accountability and efficiency of the judiciary, as well as continuous activities aimed at improving the rule of law and strengthening institutional integrity," it states.

In a regional context, the court added, Montenegro achieves a more favorable result than most countries in the region, thus positioning itself among the countries with the most pronounced growth in trust in the judicial system.

"Although the level of trust is still below the European Union average, where trust in the judiciary is 58 percent, the evident growth trend represents a strong incentive for the continuation of reforms and further improvement of the work of judicial institutions. We remind you that citizens' trust in the judiciary is one of the key indicators of the functionality of democratic institutions, legal certainty and the success of reforms in the area of ​​the rule of law. Therefore, the results of this research represent an important confirmation that the Montenegrin judiciary, led by the Supreme Court of Montenegro, through a responsible, professional and reformist approach to work, is gradually strengthening institutional credibility and public trust," the statement reads.

They added that the fact that these results come from the European Commission's Standard Eurobarometer survey, as the most relevant and credible public opinion survey at the European level, represents additional confirmation that reform processes in the Montenegrin judiciary are yielding concrete and internationally recognized results.