With the aim of establishing a unified and coordinated approach to communication with the public, Supreme State Prosecutor Milorad Marković, Minister of the Interior Danilo Šaranović and Director of the Police Directorate Lazar Šćepanović signed the Protocol on Procedures and Cooperation between the State Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of the Interior/Police Directorate in Media Communication and Public Information.
The public will be informed in a timely, objective and transparent manner about cases of particular public interest, with full respect for the presumption of innocence, the right to privacy, the interests of criminal proceedings and the protection of all participants in the proceedings.
The Protocol, signed at the premises of the Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office, represents an important step towards further strengthening cooperation between the State Prosecutor’s Office and the Police Directorate in the area of public communication. It establishes clear principles, procedures and coordination mechanisms for publishing information on the joint work of these institutions in criminal cases.
The aim of the Protocol is to provide the public with access to accurate, verified and timely information, while at the same time preserving the integrity of investigations and protecting the rights of all participants in the proceedings. In this way, it further strengthens institutional transparency, legal certainty and citizens’ trust in the criminal justice and security system.
The document is based on the applicable legislative framework of Montenegro and relevant international standards in the areas of human rights, freedom of expression and access to information, reaffirming the institutions’ commitment to informing the public responsibly, professionally and in accordance with the highest democratic standards.
The Protocol on Public Information was developed with the support of Chemonics through the project for strengthening the rule of law in the Western Balkans, as well as the Council of Europe Programme Office, within the framework of the Horizontal Facility (HF7) programme for strengthening the rule of law and victims’ rights in Montenegro.
