We are organizing the annual conference within the project “Supporting Montenegro’s EU Integration – for an Independent and Professional Judiciary as a Key Prerequisite!”, which will be held on October 9, 2025, at the Hilton Hotel in Podgorica.

The conference brings together representatives of the judiciary, state institutions, the international community, and the civil sector to jointly discuss key challenges and recommendations for enhancing the independence, professionalism, and efficiency of the judiciary in Montenegro.

The event will feature opening remarks from high-level officials and two panel discussions:

Opening Remarks

At the beginning of the conference, speeches will be delivered by:

·      H.E. Johan Satler, Ambassador of the European Union to Montenegro

·      Valentina Pavličić, President of the Supreme Court of Montenegro

·      Bojan Božović, Minister of Justice

·      Milorad Marković, Supreme State Prosecutor, and

·      Zlatko Vujović, Chairman of the Board of CeMI

In addition to the opening session, the conference will feature two more panels. The first panel, titled Presentation of the Report and Key Findings from Court Monitoring, will include the following panelists: Gordana Mitrović, court monitoring officer at CeMI; Zoran Radović, President of the High Court in Podgorica; and Rade Ćetković, Judge at the Basic Court in Podgorica. The panel will be moderated by Ksenija Jovićević-Korać, Secretary of the Supreme Court of Montenegro.

The second panel, titled Pre-Trial Detention in Montenegro: How to Balance Individual Rights and Societal Interests, will feature the following panelists: Borko Lončar, Judge at the Basic Court in Podgorica; Igor Đuričković, Judge at the High Court in Podgorica; Marko Mugoša, State Prosecutor at the Basic State Prosecutor’s Office in Podgorica; Siniša Bjeković, Human Rights and Freedoms Protector; and Bojana Franović Kovačević, attorney. The panel will be moderated by Damir Suljević, Head of the Legal Department at CeMI.

During the conference, the Annual Report on Court Proceedings in Montenegro for the Period April 2024 – April 2025 will be presented. This report is the result of CeMI’s continuous work to promote the rule of law in Montenegro. In addition to providing a general analysis of criminal proceedings conducted in all courts of Montenegro during the reporting period, this year’s report focuses on one of the most sensitive segments of criminal proceedings—pre-trial detention. By analyzing available data and judicial practice, the report aims to offer a clear overview of current challenges in imposing, extending, and lifting this measure, as well as recommendations for improving the system, with the goal of establishing greater fairness, transparency, and protection of human rights.

The project within which this conference is organized is implemented by CeMI in cooperation with the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG) and the Center for Civic Freedoms (CEGAS), with financial support from the European Commission (EIDHR) and co-financing from the Ministry of Public Administration of Montenegro.