Skopje, 26 January 2025 (MIA) - It is a fact that there were issues within the Judicial Council, which the public could see. However, I believe that things are slowly being resolved and are starting to follow a normal course as the Judicial Council should function. Many members have changed, with new members joining from June of last year until now, and we now have four new members. I’m optimistic that in the future, the Judicial Council will be up to the tasks it faces, Aleksandar Kambovski, President of the Judicial Council, said in an interview with Radio Free Europe on Sunday.

He said that his goal is for the judges to regard the Judicial Council as their own. He highlighted the low level of trust among judges in the Judicial Council, and therefore, his key aim will be to bring the Judicial Council closer to the judges.

“One of my main goals is for judges to regard the Judicial Council as their own, to feel that it’s their home. Judges have the majority here, and I want them to feel that we are their protectors, ensuring their independence and integrity, not just a body for punishment or dismissal. I don’t want the Judicial Council to be seen as a tool for intimidating judges. As I stated at the beginning, they should feel we are their true defenders. I’m talking about judges who work honestly, according to the law and the Constitution, and who possess the integrity that every judge should have,” Kambovski noted.

According to him, the only legal framework for the dismissal of a Judicial Council member is specified in the Law on the Judicial Council.

“I haven’t come across any other laws that allow for such an option – to be dismissed through any other procedure. The dismissal process, in fact, takes place here in the Judicial Council,” Kambovski noted.

He explained that he does not consider the criticisms of the Judicial Council as pressure.

“It’s good for all the authorities in this country to cooperate with each other, to criticize when necessary, because criticism always brings positive outcomes. We should correct ourselves, whether it's us, the legislature, or the executive branch. We don’t perceive it as pressure, nor do we feel it as pressure. Everyone has the right to criticize, of course, as long as the criticism is intended to improve things. We always accept such criticism and strive to improve on issues that were not handled well in the past so they can be done in a better way,” Kambovski said.

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