Open Trials Project: Monitoring of Organised Crime and High-level Corruption Trials in Montenegro

The Open Trials Project aims to support a more effective criminal justice response to organized crime and high-level corruption in Montenegro.

This goal of the project will be achieved through the systematic monitoring of more than 160 cases of organized crime and high-level corruption in the High Court in Podgorica. Based on monitored trials and in-depth political and legal research, this project would contribute to an improved approach of the criminal justice system in dealing with cases of organized crime and corruption by proposing political, legal and institutional changes. Also, the project aims to raise public awareness of critical aspects of the fight against organized crime and high-level corruption in Montenegro.

In cooperation with our partners from the Media Union of Montenegro, we will jointly publish investigative media reports and documentary TV shows that will shed light on efforts in the fight against organized crime and high-level corruption. Through the implementation of the open trials project, we will establish new methods of documenting and reporting on the misconduct of judges, prosecutors and lawyers, which we will regularly report to the competent authorities, strengthening responsibility and professionalism in the judiciary.

This project is implemented by the Centre for Monitoring and Research CeMI in partnership with the Media Syndicate, which is financed by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.