N11.T4 – Basic Court Assists High Court in Podgorica to Improve Efficiency; Judicial Complex Still Pending
HRA NEWSLETTER 11 – TOPIC 4
Montenegro’s judiciary continues to struggle with a shortage of judges, inadequate facilities, and inefficiency, while long-announced plans for a new judicial complex remain unrealized.
Justice Minister Bojan Božović had pledged that by mid-July the location of the future judicial complex in Podgorica would be disclosed, but no such announcement has been made. He made the commitment at a July conference organized by Human Rights Action on the implementation of the UN Special Rapporteur’s 2024 recommendations regarding judicial independence.
“I am in daily communication with the Mayor of Podgorica, and by July 15 we will provide clear information on the location of the judicial complex. I believe the Government will adopt this proposal, giving us a permanent solution, since previous ones have not been implemented,” Božović said.
In the meantime, the Supreme Court has arranged for judges of the High Court’s Special Department in Podgorica, which handles the most complex cases, to use the large courtroom of the Basic Court twice a week starting in September.
“This will allow more efficient trials in cases with large numbers of detainees and facilitate the scheduling of main hearings, particularly in detention-related, organized crime, and corruption cases,” Supreme Court President Valentina Pavličić announced. Human Rights Action welcomed the move, having long advocated for neighboring institutions to support the High Court.
Overcrowding also remains a pressing concern at the Investigation Prison in Spuž, which in March was reported to hold twice as many detainees as its capacity allows. The Supreme Court has pledged to adopt measures to safeguard detainees’ rights.
“In this regard, the President of the High Court in Podgorica has been advised in writing to ensure faster decisions in detention cases, especially those lasting for extended periods, in cooperation with the head of the Criminal Department,” Pavličić said. She also welcomed steps by the prison administration to ease capacity pressures.
By the end of the year, representatives of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) are expected to visit Montenegro to assess the effectiveness of these measures.
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