Montenegro to raise top judges' salaries to over €5,000 under new law

The Montenegrin government has drafted a law that would increase the remuneration of senior judicial officials starting 1 January. Under the proposal, the chief state prosecutor Milorad Marković and the presidents of the Supreme Court Valentina Pavličić and the Constitutional Court Snežana Armenko would receive a minimum of €5,000 per month, with some estimates exceeding €6,000. The increase is driven by a new salary coefficient of 33.7, up from 25.07, which applied to a base calculation value of 90, resulting in a basic salary of about €3,000 for these officials. Other judges currently earn roughly €1,250–€1,700 after allowances. The judiciary union, led by Nenad Rakočević, welcomed higher material rights but warned that the disparity between top officials and ordinary judges could undermine economic independence and public trust.

The proposal has sparked debate over the proportionality of the raises and the need for a balanced compensation system within the justice sector.