Urgent judicial vetting proposed, Asset Seizure Law expected by October

The ninth session of the National Security Council of Montenegro, chaired by Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, was held on 23 July 2025.

The Council conducted a detailed analysis of recent mafia-style killings that have raised serious public concern.

It was assessed that there is a correlation between the increase in crimes against life and bodily integrity, the rising number of detention decisions being overturned, and the failure to deliver final court verdicts within the statutory three-year timeframe.

ADOPTED MEASURES

The Council noted serious inefficiencies within the judiciary, particularly regarding the timely delivery of court judgments.

To evaluate the performance of the judiciary in handling cases involving serious criminal offenses, the Council will request comprehensive data from the Judicial Council on the total number of court decisions that have not been drafted within legally prescribed deadlines and the number of pre-trial detentions terminated due to courts failing to render verdicts within three years of indictment.

Due to the persistent failure to deliver verdicts within the statutory three-year period, the Council proposes that the Ministry of Justice initiate amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code and submit them to the European Commission, with a particular focus on extending the maximum duration of pre-trial detention, increasing the current three-year limit for the most serious criminal offenses.

The Ministry of Justice is tasked with forwarding this proposal to the European Union as a supplement to the already submitted Draft amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code, accompanied by an explanatory note.

The Council recommends that the Ministry of Justice, in cooperation with the European Commission, urgently develop a vetting model for judicial office holders, with a particular emphasis on integrity checks, professional competence and lifestyle assessments. The model will be aligned with the Constitution and the highest international standards, with input from both domestic and international experts.

The Council urged the Ministry of Justice to accelerate the adoption of the Law on the confiscation of assets acquired through criminal activity by October, along with other relevant legislation essential for the fight against organized crime and corruption.

The Council also proposes that the Ministry of Finance, in cooperation with the European Commission, initiate preparatory work on establishing a special Financial Agency that would conduct independent and substantive reviews of financial statements and reports.

The National Security Council expressed full support for the Acting Director of the Police Directorate and the current management in their efforts to combat organized crime and corruption.

ADOPTED REPORTS

During the session, the following were unanimously adopted:

• The Report on the work of the National Security Council for the period from 15 May to 31 December 2024;
• The Report on the work of the Bureau for Operational Coordination of Security Services for the period from 7 June to 31 December 2024, confirming the Bureau’s key role in coordinating the activities of the National Security Agency, Ministry of Interior, and the Ministry of Defence.

The Council also addressed other current issues within its scope of work.

It was concluded that the Council in its narrower composition will convene on Friday, 25 July, to define specific operational steps for implementing the measures adopted at this session.