"A fully-fledged Constitutional Court is a condition for closing Chapters 23 and 24 in Montenegro's negotiations with the EU"

A fully-fledged Constitutional Court is a condition for closing Chapters 23 and 24 in Montenegro's negotiations with the European Union (EU), it was announced at a meeting of judges of that court with the co-rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for Montenegro in the post-monitoring dialogue, Liliane Tangi.

As announced by the Constitutional Court, the head of that institution, Snezana Armenko, and the judges informed Tangi about the results of the court's work, current challenges, and priorities for further strengthening its institutional independence.

Armenko presented the activities and results achieved by the Constitutional Court, emphasizing that today they are acting promptly in all constitutional jurisdictions, especially in cases of constitutional appeals, while significant work lies ahead in the area of ​​normative control of regulations.

During the conversation, it was added, the importance of further strengthening the institutional capacities of the Constitutional Court was emphasized, including the selection of the two missing judges, as well as improving the normative framework that would further ensure its independence and efficiency.

Armenko stated that it is important to adopt a new Law on the Constitutional Court in order to ensure true financial and budgetary independence, institutional autonomy in employment matters, clearly defined criteria for the selection of judges, improved internal organization of the court, strengthening legal institutions such as the disqualification of judges, and especially the manner of implementing the decisions of the Constitutional Court, since they are binding and enforceable.

Tangi, it is added, expressed interest in the process of selecting judges and strengthening the efficiency of the constitutional judiciary, with the aim of fulfilling the obligations arising from Montenegro's EU accession process.

"The Constitutional Court has achieved excellent results, despite operating with an incomplete composition and an unfilled professional service, and unfavorable material capacities," said Tangi.

She assessed that an autonomous Constitutional Court and its financial independence are imperative in all developed democracies, and this must also be the case in Montenegro.

"The full functionality of the Constitutional Court is a condition for closing Chapters 23 and 24, because basic, constitutional human rights cannot be guaranteed without the full composition of the Constitutional Court," said Tangi.