Results of judicial reform give crucial contribution to Montenegro's European path

Podgorica, Montenegro (26 March 2018) -- The rule of law is an area that paves the way to the overall success of the reforms in Montenegro, and there is no doubt that it is the most demanding endeavor of a whole society striving for European integration, Deputy Prime Minister Zoran Pažin said while presenting the key results of Montenegrin justice reform at the round table entitled “Judicial Reform in Montenegro – Achievements, Challenges and Perspectives”.

DPM Pažin emphaised that courts and judges give an unremitting contribution to the rule of law by the consistent affirmation of the right to a fair and public trial before an independent and impartial tribunal within a reasonable time. “Justice is the core virtue of every society that promises to be open, civic and democratic,” he said.

DPM Pažin pointed out that one of the priorities of the Government in the next three years is the development of alternative ways of resolving disputes in order to make justice more accessible to citizens, and relieve the courts of the excessive number of cases. “In the three-year work programme of the Government, we have just set up alternative ways of resolving disputes in the agenda of our obligations. Mediation, as one of the alternative ways of resolving disputes, has already come to life in Montenegro, and the Mediation Centre, especially recently, has recorded very notable results,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

He stressed that Montenegro must achieve convincing results in judicial reform in order to encourage the Council of the European Union to set benchmarks for the final closure of Chapters 23 and 24, which will mark the beginning of the final phase of the EU accession process. “Certainly, this will represent an additional empowerment for the pursuit of a Montenegrin society to join the European Union, which is above all a community of European values that we inherit in Montenegro as our common European identity,” the Deputy Prime Minister noted.

The round table entitled “Judicial Reform in Montenegro – Achievements, Challenges and Perspectives” is sponsored by the Ministry of Justice of Montenegro in cooperation with the European Union and the Council of Europe.

OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER