N13.T9 – Proposed Candidates for the Prosecutorial Council: One Studied for 16 Years
HRA NEWSLETTER 13 – TOPIC 9
The Committee on the Political System, Judiciary, and Administration has proposed three candidates for membership in the Prosecutorial Council: Veselin Šćepanović and Sekula Raičević, as distinguished legal experts who are not attorneys, and Sanja Radulović, as a representative of the Bar. As the Council is currently missing four members, it requested in September that the Parliament of Montenegro “elect the remaining members of the Prosecutorial Council from among distinguished lawyers as soon as possible.”
Although the process has finally moved forward, retired lawyer Marko Radović voiced his protest, stating that during the session of the parliamentary Committee — when candidates were interviewed — no attention was paid to their professional backgrounds. He pointed out that candidate Sekula Raičević, Secretary of the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Montenegro, spent 16 years completing his studies, from 1999 to 2015.
“The Law on the State Prosecutor’s Office does not clearly define the category of a ‘distinguished lawyer’, but it is reasonable to assume that the legislator did not intend to include lawyers who needed 16 years to graduate. There is nothing shameful about completing one’s studies later in life, but considering the large number of renowned legal professionals who could have been recommended for such a position, it hardly brings credit to the profession that the title of ‘distinguished lawyer’ is being awarded in this way,” warned Radović. He added that society cannot progress as long as political connections remain the basis for achieving social status.
Radović also addressed both ruling and opposition MPs, urging them not to reward incompetence with one of the most important positions in the justice system.
“I hope everyone understands that if today you appoint as a ‘distinguished lawyer’ someone who studied for 16 years, tomorrow you lose the right to complain about the quality of prosecutors, judges, or lawyers,” said Radović.
While previous public calls attracted as many as 30 candidates, this time only two applications were received.
“On the one hand, the fact that only two candidates applied to the Committee’s call may indicate a lack of trust among legal professionals in the political and institutional environment in which the selection process is taking place — particularly in its transparency and freedom from political influence. On the other hand, it may also reflect low motivation among qualified lawyers to contribute to the work of the Prosecutorial Council, given that doing so inevitably exposes them to public pressure and a politicized public discourse,” said Amra Bajrović, Legal Adviser at Human Rights Action (HRA).
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