ASP: Trials for the most serious crimes before the High Court last on average almost two years

Until last year, the average duration of trials for the most complex criminal cases before the Special Department of the High Court in Podgorica reached 715 days, or almost two years, which represents a significant increase compared to 2021, when the same proceedings lasted an average of 226 days (about seven months), announced the NGO Action for Social Justice.

This organization states that the data indicates a more than threefold increase in the duration of the most complex court proceedings in a relatively short period, which, they assess, speaks to inefficiency in first-instance decision-making in the most important criminal cases.

As it is pointed out, this trend comes at the end of Montenegro's negotiation process with the European Union, at a time when the authorities are announcing the closure of negotiation chapters by the end of the year and possible EU membership by 2028.

The Special Department of the High Court in Podgorica is responsible for cases of organized crime, corruption, money laundering and other criminal offenses of high social danger.

According to data cited by the Action for Social Justice, in 2021 the average duration of these procedures was 226 days, in 2022 it was 368 days, while in 2023 a further increase was recorded to 482 days. During 2024 there was a slight decrease to 467 days, and last year the average increased again to 715 days.

The judicial authorities, as stated in the statement, explain that the reasons for the longer duration of proceedings are extensive evidentiary material, a larger number of defendants and complex procedural actions, and assess that the increase in duration represents a serious challenge to the efficiency of criminal justice.

The Action for Social Justice states that, according to the position of the judicial authorities, additional organizational measures should be considered, staffing capacity should be strengthened, and procedural mechanisms should be improved in order to speed up proceedings, while preserving the quality and legality of court decisions.

The NGO warns that special public attention is focused on cases before the Special Department of the High Court, where proceedings for the most serious forms of crime are conducted, including trials of former high-ranking public officials.

They also add that these processes are continuously marked by frequent delays and, as they state, by the use of procedural mechanisms that contribute to their prolongation.