The Minister of Justice, Igor Filkov, referring to the European Commission's report on the progress of our country in the area of judiciary, said that it provides a realistic depiction of the achievements and conditions, but it also represents an incentive for delivering the necessary reforms. According to Filkov, the reforms in the judiciary are taking place in accordance with the Development Sector Strategy for the Judiciary for the period 2024 - 2028 with its Action Plan, and in the coming period, a key priority will be to reconstitute the Council for Monitoring the Implementation of the Development Sector Strategy for the Judiciary.
"We are facing one of the most significant reforms on which our progress on the path to the European Union will depend - the Judicial Council and the Council of Public Prosecutors.
Public expert debates on the draft amendments and supplements to the Law on the Judicial Council, prepared by the working group, formed by the Ministry of Justice, will begin tomorrow. This will be just one of several events for consulting the expert public that the Ministry of Justice plans to organize, to ensure a transparent and inclusive process that will contribute to the improvement of the legal framework governing the operation of the Judicial Council. The conclusions and recommendations from the round table will be the basis for further improving the text of the amendments to the Law on the Judicial Council. These discussions will not be superficial. They will be comprehensive, will include all relevant factors and will aim to create solutions that will guarantee the independence of these institutions. The Judicial Council and the Public Prosecutor's Office must be free from any form of political interference, functioning solely in the service of justice. These bodies will be reformed to work with the utmost integrity, focusing on professionalism and strict respect for the rule of law”, stated the Minister of Justice, Igor Filkov, at the debate Platform: ”100% dedicated to you on the topic: Focus on justice, security and defense”.
Minister Filkov also spoke about the condition he found in the Ministry of Justice, the empty budget, irrationality, and utter devastation of the institution.
“We had to react immediately and take concrete actions. The reform of a complex system such as judiciary requires perseverance, courage, and support from all sectors of society. We are ready to do it. In these 100 days, we have proven that change is not only possible but is already underway. We annulled the decision of the previous Government to increase the Notary Tariff tenfold. As a result of meetings with several trade union organizations, we have begun drafting a new Law on Judicial Service. We have begun completing the decade-long process of codifying civil legislation. We have held public hearings on the Law on Criminal Procedure to further modernize and rationalize our legal processes, after which it will be put into government procedure. We have had numerous meetings with ambassadors, representatives of professional Chambers, domestic and foreign experts, civil society organizations, as well as trade union organizations. Each of the meetings resulted in a new idea, initiative and future cooperation,” emphasized Filkov.
The Minister also announced that after 8 years, the Chamber of Experts has finally become functional and has been registered in the Central Register.
“We have formed 16 professional departments; their heads and deputy heads have been appointed. On 25.09.2024, a session of the Founding Assembly of the Chamber of Experts was held. At the session of the founding assembly, the bodies of the chamber were elected, and the founding acts of the chamber were adopted.
A functional Chamber of Experts is a key step towards improving the legal system and creating a strong mechanism for control and support of experts in Macedonia. The Chamber will be responsible for licensing, educating and supervising experts, ensuring that they work according to professional and ethical standards. This, in turn, will increase trust in the justice system and contribute to fair and objective legal proceedings,” said the Justice Minister, Filkov.
