Session over Motions against Judicial Council Members Expected to Be Held 11 March

Parliament’s session over the no-confidence motions against the five members of the Judicial Council elected by the legislative house is expected to be held on 11 March.

That matter was among the topics discussed at Monday’s, regular, meeting between Speaker Afrim Gashi and Parliamentary Group Coordinators. A session, according to Parliament’s website, still hasn’t been officially scheduled.

The motions against Vesna Dameva, Selim Ademi, Tanja Cacarova-Ilievska, Milazim Mustafa, and Pavlina Crvenkovska have been submitted by 67 MPs from the ruling majority. In her answer to Parliament, Dameva nonetheless says accountability must be individual, that is, collective accountability doesn’t exist in the legal doctrine.

“Everyone is accountable for their actions. Their accountability has to be determined in a procedure and method according to the Constitution”, she points out.

Ademi stresses that only judges can evaluate his work. He points out the presented allegations are very arbitrary, which is a result of obvious ignorance when it comes to the judiciary’s state of affairs. Cacarova-Ilievska says the motions are confusing and unclear.

“I consider the motion against me, as a member, is unfounded”, she states.

Mustafa, too, describes the motion as unfounded. The Council is not the institution that should be blamed for the low level of confidence in the judiciary, he assesses.

The motion, in Mustafa’s view, represents also an attack on the independence of the judiciary as a whole. Crvenkovska doesn’t believe the motions can be applied to Council members.

“The Council has individual and institutional independence that is constitutionally guaranteed”, she states, adding that a violation of its will set a serious precedent.