On 19 April, Constitutional Court is to organise a public hearing on the initiative to reconsider the constitutionality of the amended Law on Social and Child Protection of 2015. After that, judges will declare on this case, Pobjeda newspaper learns.
A source from the Constitutional Court unofficially said that the representatives of numerous institutions, as well as the minister of labour and social welfare Kemal Purisic, professor at the Faculty of Law Vesna Simovic were invited to participate at the public hearing. It will probably be attended by representatives of the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund of Montenegro and the Parliament, as well.
An initiative to review the constitutionality of the law enabling the mothers of three or more children to exercise their right to allowance was submitted to the Constitutional Court early last year, which triggered harsh reactions is part of the public.
At the end of 2016, the Constitutional Court issued a decision to initiate the procedure and requested the Parliament to declare about that. After that, NGO Institute for the Rule of Law stated that based on the document seen, it was clear that the court had already made a final decision, ie that the law would be declared unconstitutional. The decision states that the disputed provisions are not in compliance with certain provisions of the Constitution of Montenegro and the European Convention on the prohibition of discrimination, gender equality, protection of the family and the protection of mothers and children.
The Court has already explained that this item has not been on the agenda because it is waiting for the position of the legislative authority (the Parliament) which adopted the controversial law. On the other hand, the Parliament has not replied to Pobjeda’s question whether they voted on the court’s request and what the decision is.
