Justice is not only about laws, political decisions and institutions. Justice requires change of awareness. Therefore, all of us – politicians, judges, prosecutors, public advocates – must agree on one thing, which is that justice must not be an item for trade. When a generation loses faith in justice, it loses faith in the country, said President Stevo Pendarovski at the observance of the 15th anniversary of the Academy for Judges and Public Prosecutors “Pavel Shatev” on Wednesday.

Pendarovski stressed that for the judiciary to be protected from potential political and economic influences, independence should be not only formal-legal, but also functional and financial.

You have to invest in quality staff who will perform the function impartially, professionally and efficiently. The appointment and promotion of judges and prosecutors must be completely depoliticized and carried out according to transparent procedures and objective criteria, based on the merit system. That is exactly what I see in the role of the Academy for Judges and Public Prosecutors, which has a key role in the process of preparation and continuous professional development of the court-prosecutor staff, said Pendarovski.

He pointed out that in addition to training, the Academy also contributes to building a culture of resistance to corruption, political influence and abuse of judicial and prosecutorial office.