New suspicions of irregularities in the work of Judge Ristov

Macedonia

Express newspaper

12/03/2026 11:43

The Judicial Council of North Macedonia has found serious suspicions of careless and unprofessional work by a judge from the Skopje Court of Appeal, after several court cases dragged on until the verdicts became statute-barred.

According to the findings of the Judicial Council, delayed procedures have caused some cases to remain unresolved, while some cases, according to reports, have been left on the shelf until the deadlines for criminal prosecution have expired.

Although no specific name was mentioned during the hearing, the circumstances of the case indicate that it concerns the appeals judge Gjoko Ristov. Anonymous complaints have also been submitted against him to the Judicial Council, writes 365.com.mk, reports Zhurnal.mk.

Ristov's name had previously been mentioned in the public eye after the discovery of around 350 euros hidden in the wall of his parents' house in Negotino, after which an investigation was opened against him.

A working group of the Judicial Council, after conducting an extraordinary audit, has found that legal deadlines have been exceeded, unjustified postponements of public hearings, and cases where defendants have remained under house arrest longer due to these delays.

In one specific case, the announcement of the verdict was postponed for 62 days after the conclusion of the trial, which is considered a serious violation of the Law on Criminal Procedure.

The report also mentions the "Spec kasa" case, which has been pending in the Court of Appeal for almost a year and a half. During this time, 16 public hearings were scheduled, but in the end the case fell under absolute statute of limitations on December 30, 2025.

The Judicial Council has assessed that there are suspicions that the judge has not made sufficient efforts to conclude the cases in a timely manner, exposing the criminal prosecution to the risk of statute of limitations.

For this reason, the Council has decided to lift Ristov's judicial immunity and approve the imposition of house arrest on him. It has also been decided that he be temporarily removed from exercising the function of judge until the final conclusion of the criminal proceedings.