The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has expressed concern over the state of the justice system in North Macedonia, attributing the difficulties to inadequate funding, a lack of personnel and political influence. In its statement, the LDP referred to the Eleventh Shadow Report on Chapter 23, prepared by the European Policy Institute (EPI).
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According to the party, 18 of the 34 courts in total do not operate efficiently. In addition, more than 134,000 cases remain unresolved, and several prosecutor’s offices operate without a single public prosecutor.
The LDP points out that 0.26 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) is allocated to the judiciary, although the law provides for 0.8 percent. The party also mentioned the cancellation of the competition for the admission of 130 candidates to the Academy for Judges and Public Prosecutors, after the Ministry of Finance failed to secure the necessary funds.
Another concern raised by the party is pressure from the executive branch on the Public Prosecutor’s Office. According to the LDP, this is manifested through public statements by senior government officials regarding specific investigations and judicial proceedings.
The party’s statement says that the authorities cannot demand results from the prosecution while politically commenting on and challenging its decisions. The LDP stresses that the rule of law cannot be upheld by creating a climate in which prosecutors worry about the political reaction before making professional decisions.
According to the LDP, the lack of personnel and funding, as well as changes to the Criminal Code that have allowed high-level corruption cases to become time-barred, are creating a situation in which impunity is becoming the rule and justice the exception.
LDP Chairwoman Monika Zajkova says the crisis is linked not only to a lack of money, but also to choices regarding political priorities. She stresses that the authorities find funds for officials, but not for the justice system.
The LDP calls for the funds stipulated by law for the justice system to be secured without delay and for the admission of new judges and public prosecutors to resume. The party also calls for unnecessary administrative spending to be reduced and budget funds to be transferred to the institutions responsible for guaranteeing citizens’ legal security.
