Minister of Justice affirms Montenegro’s commitment to judicial reform, calls for closer regional cooperation

‘’Montenegrin authorities are making continuous efforts of reaching the highest degree of judicial independence, as we realise that only an independent judiciary can guarantee respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms’’, Montenegrin Justice Minister Miras Radovic told the EU-Western Balkans Forum on Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) in Brussels.

Empowering judicial independence, as Minister Radovic explained, will be one of the main objectives of the Action Plan for meeting the European Commission’s recommendations to Montenegro. ’’We will put special emphasis on greater transparency as to the appointment, promotion and accountability of judicial office holders, as well as on the need that they are elected solely on the basis of professional merit’’, stated Minister Radovic.

Minister Radovic underlined in particular the need of reinforcing international legal cooperation, recalling the success of a recent joint operation by Italian and Montenegrin police and judicial authorities, which led to the arrest of Dusko Saric, suspected drug-lord Darko Saric's brother, who was wanted by the Republic of Serbia on drug smuggling charges.

‘’I’d like to use this opportunity to invite all countries of the region to focus our future cooperation on the exchange of experiences in order to use all the available instruments of international legal assistance more effectively,” Minister Radovic stressed when referring to the need of signing bilateral extradition agreements in the region.