The Council for Open Judiciary was established today in the premises of the Supreme Court of Republic of North Macedonia. The Declaration on Open Judiciary was also signed during the event.
The Council for Open Judiciary is a body composed of one representative from each court instance and representatives of the Judicial Council of the Republic of North Macedonia, the Academy for Judges and Public Prosecutors, as well as representatives of six citizen’s associations.
The Declaration on Open Judiciary as part of the Open Government Partnership program is a commitment that aims to contribute to increased civic participation and increased access by citizens to the work of the judiciary, in the Republic of North Macedonia.
The President of the Supreme Court, Besa Ademi, in her address stressed that the open judiciary is crucial for increasing the positive perception, and thus for increasing citizen’s trust in the work of the courts.
,,The Supreme Court of Republic of North Macedonia as the holder of judicial authority has duty to ensure equal application of laws which is a prerequisite for equal justice for all citizens based on established case law which will respect the principle of legal certainty, but at the same time will ensure openness of the data and the work of the courts as institutions that are responsible for law enforcement” pointed Ms. Ademi.
The senior program manager of the Center for Legal Research and Analysis, Mr. Zharko Hadzi-Zafirov, also addressed today’s event, emphasizing that the Council for Open Judiciary aims to strengthen the transparency and openness of the judiciary, but also to contribute to the cohabitation of the three authorities, the legislature, the executive and the judicial authority.
Mr. Paul Maassen, a representative of the Open Government Partnership, also addressed the event, pointing that the establishment of the Council is in the spirit of the Open Government Partnership and is an example of the openness of the judicial system to the citizens and the civil society sector.