Media Watchdogs Condemn Bulgarian Journalist’s Defamation Sentence
International and domestic media watchdogs have condemned the defamation conviction of journalist Rossen Bossev, noting that a case was presided over by a judge he had previously criticised.
View ArticleSerbia Weak on Penalising Money-Launderers: BIRN Analysis
Only 15 per cent of money-laundering cases end up before the Serbian courts, with minor sentences often handed down to those who are put in the dock.
View ArticleSerbian Taxpayers Foot Cost of Unlawful Detention
Serbia paid out more than 1.6 million euros between 2014 and 2018 for the unlawful detention or conviction of its own citizens, a sum rights groups and legal experts say speaks to an abuse of the...
View ArticleJaneva Quits as North Macedonia’s Chief Special Prosecutor
Katica Janeva on Monday submitted her resignation as head of the crime-busting Special Prosecution amid an ongoing tussle between the government of North Macedonia and the opposition over a law that...
View ArticlePolitical Quarrels Cloud North Macedonia Special Prosecution’s Future
After a nudge from the US and EU, long-stalled political talks have resumed about the future of the Special Prosecution, which targets high-level corruption - but despite warnings, political parties...
View Article‘Extortion’ Scandal May Determine North Macedonia Govt’s Fate
The authorities in Skopje must either get a grip on the rapidly unfolding ‘Extortion’ affair – or see their reputation for tackling corruption completely shredded.
View ArticleSlovak Reporter’s Murder Puts Justice on Trial
A murder investigation in Slovakia has blown the lid on corruption in the judiciary. Will it prove the catalyst for change?
View ArticleCourt to Check North Macedonia’s Flood of Govt Decrees
With parliament out of action in the pandemic, it is up to the Constitutional Court to hold the government to account over its rule by decree – and decide whether its abusing its power.
View ArticleOpposition Demands Resignation of Bosnian Federation PM
A joint letter signed by 20 MPs in Bosnia’s Federation entity has called for a no-confidence motion in the entity PM, Fadil Novalic, following his detention in connection with the so-called...
View ArticleGender Gap: Why Men Are Failing Albania’s Judicial Vetting
Albania’s judicial evaluation process is failing men at a far higher rate than women – but the experts don’t agree why this is.
View ArticleCOVID-19 Puts Justice in North Macedonia on Standby
The coronavirus pandemic has exposed and multiplied all the existing problems in the country’s judiciary, starting with its outdated equipment and lack of inter-connectedness.
View ArticleSerbia Goes Slow on EU-Sought Judicial Reforms
Serbia is busy ticking the justice-related goals that it must fulfil as part of its EU integration process as ‘done’ – when in practice the results are purely superficial.
View ArticleNorth Macedonia Graft Prosecutors Seek Fresh Start
Can organised crime prosecutors in North Macedonia regain public trust after years of fealty to the party in power?
View ArticleBosnia Chief Prosecutor Gordana Tadić Axed for ‘Negligence’
In a ruling that may be appealed, Bosnia’s top judicial body said it was removing the Chief Prosecutor for professional negligence – and for repeatedly ignoring its decisions.
View ArticleSerbia’s ‘Young Gun’ Prosecutor: We’re Rebuilding Trust in Judiciary
Predrag Milovanovic, who brought the first-instance conviction in the famous case of a journalist whose house was set on fire, tells BIRN that rebuilding faith in Serbia’s courts is a slow process that...
View ArticleMontenegrin Judiciary Risks Losing Public Trust, Rights Activist Warns
The head of the NGO Human Rights Action says public faith in Montenegrin justice is weakening – shown by the rising number of citizens' appeals to the European Court of Human Rights.
View ArticleKosovo Suspends Judge Filmed Acting Illegally by BIRN
The Kosovo Judicial Council has suspended a judge in Kacanik after BIRN filmed him illegally negotiating with the parties outside court.
View ArticleSerbian Election Shakes up Judicial Overhaul
Serbia’s ruling Progressives may face having to negotiate with the opposition to fill a number of important judicial posts, or rely on a much-criticised fallback mechanism.
View ArticleMontenegro Arrests Commercial Court President on Corruption Charges
Montenegrin police on Monday arrested the president of the Commercial Court, Blazo Jovanic, and ten other persons after the Special State Prosecutor accused them of creating a criminal organization and...
View ArticleCouncil of Europe Rates Turkey’s Progress on Reforms ‘Unsatisfactory’
GRECO report says Turkish judiciary is even less independent now than it was in 2016, and little action has been taken to curb corruption by politicians.
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