Montenegro and its judiciary have been taking all possible steps since the beginning of the pandemic to guarantee the right to a fair trial and the right to defense in these unprecedented inclinations for modern humanity, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice, Mr Zoran Pažin, said during a video conference of EU justice ministers – Western Balkans, within the German presidency of the Council of Europe.
The meeting discussed the impact of urgent measures taken to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the functioning of the judiciary. The need to ensure the continued functioning of the judiciary with the imperative of guaranteeing respect for fundamental rights has been jointly recognized.
Mr Pažin pointed out that, despite the fact there was an extraordinary influx of cases due to the pandemic, the basic courts achieved a very encouraging rate of as much as 95% efficiency at the level of semi-annual work.
Ministers reaffirmed that, even in times of crisis, the right to a fair trial and the right to defense of suspects and accused persons should be respected. They pointed at the increase in domestic violence during the pandemic and stated that the support and protection of victims of domestic violence should require special attention and special measures.
Speaking on the topic of access to justice in the era of digitization, Mr Pažin pointed out that Montenegro was making efforts in the field of development of information and communication technologies in the judiciary, with the aim of improving efficiency, transparency and accountability of judicial bodies.
EC has recognized Montenegro’s reports in the latest progress report.
“One of the key functionalities within the strategic document that regulates the field of ICT in the judiciary is e-Fileing. It is a system that, after electronic identification, will allow the party to have an insight into all court cases in which he/she appears in any role. In this way, access to justice will be simpler, faster and easier for all citizens of Montenegro”, Mr Pažin explained.
EU and Western Balkan ministers concluded today that basic rights and procedural principles, such as the right to a fair trial, must be ensured when implementing digital solutions, and agreed on the next steps towards digitization in judicial systems.
