Skopje Criminal Court faces severe staff shortages

The Basic Criminal Court in Skopje is facing a severe shortage of judicial staff, including judges, administrators, and bailiffs. President Daniela Dimovska reported that while 53 judges are currently active, many are approaching retirement age, and a new generation of judges is not expected from the Academy for Judges and Public Prosecutors.

The staffing crisis is particularly acute in administration, where only 208 out of 628 planned positions are filled. Additionally, the court is operating with 52 bailiffs instead of the required 70. Between 2020 and 2025, the total number of employees decreased by 131.

Despite these resource constraints, the court has achieved a 59% reduction in old cases, defined as those pending for more than two years. The number of such cases dropped from 896 in August 2025 to 368 in August 2026. The court is also pursuing digitalization, including electronic integration with the Real Estate Agency and testing an AI-based tool for anonymizing court decisions in collaboration with Brainster.