The latest research conducted with the support of the Ministry of Justice, which shows that almost half of Montenegrin citizens do not trust the judicial system, they see this government department as a critical opinion in a free and democratic society.
On the other hand, in the civil sector, it is seen as a long-standing alarm that primarily the political and financial influence of the executive power must be removed from the judiciary as soon as possible.
And while Zoran Pažin's department claims that citizens' perception of the work of judicial institutions is similar in EU countries, Boris Marić from the Center for Civil Liberties cites examples from domestic practice, which, he says, makes it no surprise that only 27 percent of citizens trust the judiciary, and more less – 18 percent to the prosecution.
They list corruption, political influence, and lack of fairness as reasons for mistrust.
When asked if they are worried about such results and what the citizens' perception tells them, the Ministry of Justice does not provide concrete answers.
The data of the recently presented research, which was done for them and CGO by Ipsos strategic marketing, in the Ministry, is viewed through comparative practice.
"Critical opinion is an integral part of every free and democratic society, which is why comparative data in most European democracies show similar results. According to the latest report of the European Commission (Eurobarometer), in the European Union, on average, 45% of citizens do not trust judicial institutions. In the member countries In the EU from our environment, such as Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Bulgaria or Romania, the percentage of citizens who do not trust the judiciary is significantly higher, on average as much as 67%," said the Ministry of Justice.
In the civil sector, on the other hand, they point out that the latest results are worrying, but not surprising.
"It's an alarm that has been lit for a long time, and this is a reminder that that alarm is working and that the justice system is under serious political influence. And that is the biggest obstacle to entering into essential reforms of the justice system. If we have the fact that procedures of the type Kalić, Šarić, ended the way they ended - with acquittal decisions, if we have the fact that the Koverta affair remained in the drawer and that no one is trying, nor does anyone have the intention of prosecuting that affair in the right way, then it is not surprising that we have this perception of the citizens". said Boris Marić from the Center for Civil Liberties.
Citizens' trust, Zoran Pažin's department admits, is very important for the efficient functioning of the judiciary, but also for the realization of justice and the overall progress of society.
However, instead of answering the question of what they will do to improve citizens' trust in the Montenegrin judiciary, they answer what they have already done.
"In recent years, the Montenegrin judicial system has significantly improved the level of openness and transparency in its work, through regular publication of documents, up-to-date information to the public and the media about its work, and regular cooperation with civil society organizations," said the Ministry of Justice.
Marić, on the other hand, says that greater trust is achieved by removing the political and financial influence of the executive power.
"This is not the case now, even in terms of financing, i.e. the judicial budget, because the judicial budget still largely depends on the executive power. Here is just an example of the distribution of apartments, solving the housing issues of judges, it is enough that you already have a problem with independence," Marić said. .
Therefore, suggests Marić, the Ministry of Justice must take a more serious look at the research it supported.
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