On 15 November 2024, the German Ambassador Peter opened a round table in Podgorica, which the IRZ organised in cooperation with the Montenegrin Ministry for Human and Minority Rights and the three non-governmental organisations Juventas, Queer Montenegro and Spektra on the planned implementing provisions for the law on same-sex partnerships. The event was part of the activities organised by IRZ in the Western Balkans on the priority and cross-cutting issue of ‘human rights’. The Italian ambassador, representatives of the French, British and Dutch embassies and of the UN delegation also took part.
The discussions between the representatives of various ministries, non-governmental organisations, academia and the ombudsman were extremely intensive. In addition, the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights presented a plan for further action in preparing the implementing regulations.
The participants in front of the Regional Court in Bonn. Montenegro
A group of judges from Montenegro took part in a comprehensive specialist programme in Bonn from 27 October to 1 November 2024, which was organized by IRZ together with the Montenegrin Center for the Training of Judges and Public Prosecutors.
During the visit, the participants attended an extensive hearing in a murder trial before the jury court, as well as several civil proceedings on current legal disputes (claims arising from mask deliveries at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, data protection on the internet). The program was rounded off by lectures and expert discussions on criminal and civil proceedings and on legal education in Germany.
The participants found the conduct of proceedings by German judges to be very effective and constructive and praised the objective way in which the legal professionals involved in a case deal with each other. At the same time, they pointed out that it is difficult for judges in Montenegro to hold open discussions about the prospects of a case. This is often seen as a sign of prejudice. In this context, the participants discussed the job description and the tasks of judges, as well as questions of how to conduct a trial effectively.
IRZ also provided the participants with extensive translations of German legal texts and publications in Bosnian/Croatian/Montenegrin/Serbian in electronic form, which were compiled as part of other IRZ measures. These included the German Code of Criminal Procedure and the German Penal Code, as well as a translation of the German Law on Judicial Officers, produced in cooperation with the Association of German Judicial Officers, and specialist literature on the official evaluation of judges.
The lectures, which were preceded by a welcoming address by the German Ambassador, Peter Felten, provided a comprehensive overview of the draft law and its history, as well as the content of comparable laws in EU states. This made it possible to classify the draft Montenegrin law by means of comparative law and provided insights into possible improvements to its design.
During the second part of the workshop, the audience engaged in intensive discussions about the reform project, which lasted longer than originally planned.
The importance attached to the event in Montenegro is also demonstrated by the participation of the ombudsman Siniša Bjekovč, employees of various ministries, members of the parliament, members of foreign embassies and media representatives.
