Constitutional Court of Montenegro proposes new transparency rules

Snežana Armenko, President of the Constitutional Court of Montenegro, has initiated changes to the court's rules of procedure. The proposed amendments aim to increase transparency by making it public how individual judges vote on constitutionality assessments and identifying which judge serves as the rapporteur for specific cases.

Armenko reported that the average duration of court proceedings has decreased to 11 months, compared to cases lasting up to seven years when she assumed office two years ago.

Regarding pending high-profile cases, Armenko announced that the court expects to rule on the constitutionality of the international agreement between Montenegro and the United Arab Emirates by the end of October. Additionally, the court is reviewing the constitutionality of mandatory vaccination policies and the prohibition of unvaccinated children from attending preschool institutions. Armenko noted the complexity of balancing public health rights with parental rights in the vaccination matter.