Judicial Council Conference Held in Skopje

At the Judicial Council Conference yesterday, US Ambassador Angela Aggeler said the country had experienced judges and prosecutors that had to rebuild trust of citizens.

“So, how do you begin to rebuild that trust deficit with the people that you are called to serve? The message is clear and it is unchanged: ‘Do the job you are called to do. Follow the law. Work for the people. Resist political pressure. Protect your integrity. And embrace transparency.’ The hard work has already begun and we have seen progress. Now, let us help you move even further forward,” she pointed out, adding that she agreed with Dutch Ambassador Dirk Jan Kop’s comments, made earlier at the event, that public trust in the judiciary was shockingly low.

The Dutch Ambassador had also stated that half of the EU’s peer-review mission’s recommendations concerned also the Government and Parliament.

As he added, three recommendations concern constitutional changes, but none of them should be implemented quickly, without involvement from the expert community.

EU Ambassador David Geer isn’t in favour of disbanding the Judicial Council and Council of Public Prosecutors. In his view, that would constitute interference in the independence of the judiciary.