The Council of Europe and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in cooperation with the Judicial Council, Prosecutorial Council, Supreme Court of Montenegro and Supreme State Prosecution Office, organised a joint training course on Strengthening Ethical and Disciplinary Frameworks for Judges and Prosecutors in Montenegro.

The activity brought together members of ethical and disciplinary bodies, judges, prosecutors and judicial staff representatives to discuss key challenges and standards related to judicial and prosecutorial ethics, accountability and disciplinary responsibility. It focused on the role and mandate of ethical and disciplinary bodies, the applicable legal framework and recent reforms in Montenegro, as well as on international and European standards and best practices concerning judicial & prosecutorial ethics and discipline.

Through interactive sessions and case-based discussions, participants explored key aspects of decision-making in ethical and disciplinary proceedings, including fair trial guarantees, legal reasoning and structuring of decisions, as well as standards for evidence gathering and assessment. Standards and jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights in relation to Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights were discussed as well. The practical approach enabled participants to reflect on current practices and identify avenues for strengthening consistency, transparency and legal certainty in ethical and disciplinary proceedings.

In addition, experts from UNODC and representatives of the Agency for Prevention of Corruption of Montenegro delivered presentations and practical case studies focusing on integrity risks, corruption prevention mechanisms, conflicts of interest and asset declaration systems, contributing to a broader discussion on safeguarding public trust in the judiciary.

As a result, valuable exchange of experiences, lessons learned and practical guidance between judges, prosecutors, judicial staff members and international experts took place. Discussions highlighted the ways of further strengthening both preventive and repressive mechanisms, ensuring respect for procedural guarantees, while striking a delicate balance between independence and accountability of the judiciary.

The activity was implemented within the operational framework of the action "Strengthening accountability of the judicial system and enhancing protection of victims' rights in Montenegro", which is part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”.