Women in the judiciary are exposed to pressure and online violence, including personal attacks and discredit, and courts must react quickly to hate speech and protect the dignity of the profession, pointed out the President of the Supreme Court of Montenegro, Valentina Pavličić. 

Speaking as a guest in the sixth episode of the "Bez filtera" (Unfiltered) podcast, titled "Women, Power, and the Judiciary: Justice in the Era of Online Violence," which we produced, she stated that she does not view her function through a gender lens, but rather through professional standards.

"Being first in one branch of power is certainly not easy, but it carries immense responsibility. I do not view it through gender. I think it is a mistake to base everything on that, because being at the head of the judiciary is, above all, thanks to expertise, integrity, professionalism, and dedication to the law and justice," Pavličić said.

According to her, the judiciary requires years of experience and a serious professional path.

"Being first in the judiciary is not like being first in politics, because it means that a certain amount of work, life, and professional experience stands behind you. You need to have what the English call seniority, to truly act responsibly, because the job you do is extremely responsible in any society," Pavličić stated.

She added that a high percentage of women in the judiciary does not mean that the path to the top is easy.

"When you reach that 'glass ceiling' and shatter it, it is no longer a question of gender. It is something achieved thanks to you as an individual and your qualities, because breaking through and heading an institution is a great responsibility," Pavličić said.

When asked if she had to defend her authority, Pavličić said she had no such experience.

"You can only defend authority if you have a strong command of your professional knowledge, not only within national borders but also beyond them," Pavličić emphasized.

Speaking about criticism, Pavličić pointed out the difference between legitimate and unfounded critiques.

"I openly accept that there are grounds for criticism, and that is not disputed. But if we criticize something, there must be specific criticism, specific arguments, and concrete matters to address. What is unacceptable is when court decisions are commented on without the facts from the case files, but solely based on expectations," Pavličić said.

She warned that a segment of the media scene influences public perception.

"You have situations where the media paves the way for what the public should think about a certain court or case. But we should not argue with that; instead, we should be open and explain our decisions. Today, we witness judges being called out daily by their first and last names, with facts from their personal and family relationships being exposed. This is done with the aim of degrading the judge's personality and the profession, to score cheap populist points. We live in an era of populism," she said.

She stated that she has been the target of such attacks herself.

"I have been attacked as a woman as well. I am also a mother, and my children see me through the lifestyle we lead as a family. When you are called out for something that has no basis and you have no venue to clear the air and show it is not true, then you wonder who you are supposed to explain it to and who you are supposed to convince," Pavličić said.

She added that over time, she changed her approach.

"Through your behavior, you will demonstrate your attitude and responsibility towards your job and profession. I no longer internalize personal attacks—they absolutely do not interest me—but I am interested in those that are objective and based on something that can benefit the system," Pavličić emphasized.

She believes that courts must be more open to the public.

"Perhaps our formalistic approach to justice is not understandable enough to citizens. They do not care which article of the law it is; they care about whether someone is convicted or not. When we explain this in a simple way, we will begin to restore trust," Pavličić assessed.

Speaking about online violence, especially against women, Pavličić stressed that courts must react swiftly.

"Hate speech does not enjoy protection, and there is no dilemma there. Courts must render decisions clearly and quickly, because delivering a judgment on hate speech after five years is delayed justice. Through judge education and specific guidelines, as well as projects currently being prepared, we will try to improve handling in cases of online violence, especially against women," Pavličić said.

The sixth episode of the "Bez filtera" podcast, "Women, Power, and the Judiciary: Justice in the Era of Online Violence," was realized within the project "Equal in Public – For a Safe Public Space in Montenegro," implemented by CeMI with the financial support of the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights. The views expressed in the podcast do not necessarily reflect the positions of the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights.