The Law on Public Prosecution Office passed the first reading of the Commission on Political System and Inter-Community Relations and the Legislative and Legal Commission in the Parliament

Key changes:
1. Evaluation of public prosecutors
∙ Instead of every 4 years, the work of public prosecutors will be evaluated every 3 years, in order to more continuously and systematically review their work.
∙ An extraordinary evaluation is also being introduced: after a negative evaluation, the prosecutor will be evaluated again, as a mechanism for monitoring and correcting identified weaknesses.
2. Election of the Public Prosecutor of the Republic of North Macedonia
In order to ensure greater transparency and professionalism in the election process:
∙ Candidates will submit a Work Program and CV.
∙ The Council of Public Prosecutors will organize a public session at which the candidates will present their program.
∙ The programs and biographies will be publicly published on the Council's website.
3. Disciplinary procedure for public prosecutors
A clearer disciplinary framework is being established:
∙ Violations are categorized as minor, more serious and most serious disciplinary violations.
∙ The Council decides on an appeal within 30 days.
∙ The Disciplinary Commission completes the procedure within 6 months, or up to 9 months in more complex cases.
∙ A representative from the Association of Public Prosecutors is also present at the hearings, for the purpose of professional representation.
∙ If a prosecutor requests dismissal during the disciplinary procedure, the procedure continues until a final decision is made, thus preventing abuses.
∙ Records of the imposed disciplinary measures are being introduced.
4. Financial independence –
The law incorporates a guarantee for financial autonomy, by establishing a minimum legally guaranteed level of funding.
The law has received a positive opinion from the Venice Commission.
On Tuesday, the law will be on the agenda before the members of the Parliament.