Judicial Council: Kumanovo Court President Overstepped Her Powers, 75 Employees Complain of Insults and Fear

The Judicial Council voted 8 in favour and 2 against to accept as well-founded a complaint filed by 75 employees of the Kumanovo Basic Court against the court's president, Snežana Manev. The conclusion: she overstepped her powers under the Law on Court Service and the court's rules of procedure.

The employees complain of insults, fear, psychological pressure, intimidation and a poisoned working atmosphere. The complaint cites the president interfering in the work of the court administrator, demanding a draft annual-leave plan and questioning staff about how they use their leave, constant surveillance, and introducing a double attendance register. According to the allegations, she also used insulting and belittling language in front of lawyers and parties to cases.

Afraid even of talking to the Council

Council members Suzana Joševska-Anastasovska and Arlinda Kadri-Šahinović visited the court and spoke with the staff. Of them, 15 said they had personally experienced or witnessed the specific allegations, while the others spoke of constant shouting, a feeling of humiliation and non-stop surveillance. "Among some of the employees, a pronounced fear of possible consequences for signing the complaint was noted," Joševska-Anastasovska said. Some suspected that while the interviews were going on, someone was watching on camera to see who was coming and going.

Manev doesn't deny she is in conflict with the court administrator, but says it is the result of his failure to act on her memos. She calls the accusations unfounded, tendentious and sweeping, and says a small group of employees she demanded discipline from is behind the complaint. She ends her response like this: "All employees in the court MUST (in capital letters) be fully dedicated and extremely engaged in carrying out their work tasks. As a judge and court president, I accept nothing less, nor do I make compromises, full stop."

The union threatened a strike

The case is not new. The complaint follows earlier appeals from the employees in December 2025 and in February and April 2026. On September 22, the UPOZ union held a press conference in front of the court, publicly accused the president of harassment and demanded that the Judicial Council dismiss her, threatening otherwise to block the court's work with a strike.

Judicial Council President Aleksandar Kambovski says the disagreements at the Kumanovo court have been going on for a long time and that a working group has been formed. But here's the real question. The Council has established that the court president overstepped her powers - so now what? If the institution that appoints and dismisses judges and court presidents has a well-founded complaint on the table, how long will it take for 75 employees to find out whether it means anything more than a vote?