Skopje, 30 April 2025 (MIA) — Participants in the Association of Judges of North Macedonia's conference "Strengthening Judicial Independence and Responsibility Through More Efficient Proceedings" held Wednesday with the support of the OSCE Mission in Skopje discussed the need of judiciary reforms and higher efficency in court proceedings.

Ambassador Kilian Wahl, the head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje, reminded judges that the judiciary had "the unique responsibility to protect human rights and make sure justice is served."

According to Wahl, the main challenges the judiciary is facing include political pressure, slow proceedings and corruption. "It is these challenges that have eroded public trust in the judiciary," he told the conference.

He said making proceedings more efficient was not merely an administrative or a technical issue. "This is a strategic directive — justice, when it is done quickly and transparently, strengthens democracy overall," he said.

Wahl said the OSCE Mission would focus on supporting legislative reforms and helping improve state institutions.

"We believe we can restore citizens' trust through reforms, investments and action. Justice must prevail, not only in theory but also in practice. Only through action can we make change happen," he said.

Association of Judges of North Macedonia's president Ivan Dzholev urged judges to join forces and face the flaws in the system together. Some of these flaws, he said, were the judiciary being understaffed, state institutions being dysfunctional and prisons overcrowded. 

"We cannot remain silent witnesses when these problems directly influence citizens and tarnish the reputation of our legal system," Dzholev said.

According to him, the tragic March 16 fire in Kochani should alert judges to the "need to be more efficient."

He also said judges had to be included in drafting new legislation because it was them who were the most knowledgeable about the actual problems in implementing laws. mr/