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Increasing of the Level of Trust of the Criminal Justice System Through Social Re-use of Confiscated Assets
Thu, September 4, 4:00 to 5:15pm, Deree | Classrooms, DC 606Abstract
The level of trust of the courts in Republic of North Macedonia is in constant decrease over the last 20 years. Several factors are considered responsible for this situation. Most notable facts are: criminal trials are observed as slow and lengthier due to legislative gaps and scarce resources; courts nurturing mild sanctioning policy; significant number of criminal cases that are not brought in front of the courts due to lack of evidence gathered during the investigative phase. Absence of legislative provisions for effective and efficient management of the proceeds of crime and confiscated assets has further eroded this trust into the courts, resulting with the unwanted fact that “crime does pay” in Republic of North Macedonia. Improved management of the confiscated assets is observed as possible improvement that can lead towards more effective criminal justice. Trough introduction of the social re-use of the confiscated assets within the new Law on Management of Confiscated Assets, enacted in 2024, Macedonian legislator is trying to increase the visibility of the results of the criminal justice process within the general population. Hence, author is analyzing the activities of the Agency for Management of the Confiscated Assets in the field of transferring of the confiscated assets to state institutions as part of its social re-use initiatives. Several positive examples of the Agency for Management of Confiscated Asset, analyzed trough case studies, including transfers of the motor vehicles to the state institutions, or transfer of confiscated textile and confiscated house-appliances to the social welfare institutions can be observed as a small and initial turning point towards the improvement of the criminal justice system’s performance that should lead towards the increase its level of trust.