Back Montenegro establishes its first Chamber of Court Experts

Podgorica 27 October 2026
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Montenegro establishes its first Chamber of Court Experts

Montenegro has established its first Chamber of Court Experts under the new Law on Court Experts, which entered into force on 17 July 2026. At the inaugural Assembly, held in accordance with the secondary legislation prepared with the Council of Europe support, the Chamber’s governing bodies were elected, including the Chamber’s President, the President and Deputy President of the Chamber’s Assembly and the Executive Board members.

The Chamber’s establishment has created an institutional foundation for strengthening professional standards, promoting professional development among court experts, and enhancing cooperation with judicial institutions. It will also contribute to greater reliability of expert findings and opinions, thereby supporting better-informed judicial decisions. By providing a framework for stronger professional self-regulation and improved quality of work, the Chamber will contribute to greater legal certainty, increased public trust in the judiciary and more effective access to justice for citizens.

The action "Strengthening accountability of the judicial system and enhancing protection of victims' rights in Montenegro” which is part of the European Union and Council of Europe joint programme Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye, supported the Ministry of Justice’s Working Group in drafting the new Law on Court Experts, in cooperation with court experts’ associations. The support also included the preparation of the Chamber’s founding documents, laying the groundwork for its establishment and operation.

As part of the continued support for developing the professional framework for court experts, a new Code of Ethics has also been prepared and is expected to be adopted at the next Assembly’ session.

Horizontal Facility III

The joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” (Horizontal Facility III) is a co-operation initiative, running from 2023 until 2026. The programme covers actions in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Türkiye. It enables the Beneficiaries to meet their reform agendas in the fields of human rights, rule of law and democracy and to comply with European standards, which is also a priority for the EU enlargement process.

The envelope of this facility amounts to ca. 41 million EUR (85% funded by the EU, 15% by the CoE).

Find out more about the Horizontal Facility III programme >>

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.