The Legal Advice Centre operates within Transparency International – Macedonia and has been active since 2003. During the first half of 2025, 74 citizens contacted the Legal Advice Centre. The most common ways citizens reached out were through the organization’s online platforms, by phone, and quite frequently in person at our office. However, reports were also received via regular mail.
Compared to previous years, the most commonly reported area continues to be the judiciary, followed by law enforcement, property and legal ownership matters, as well as employment relations. Although in smaller numbers, customs, education, sports, local self-government, and agriculture are also areas of concern that cannot be overlooked.
JUDICIARY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
The judiciary remains the area with the highest number of citizen complaints. These are often related to dissatisfaction with the work of the courts and the length of legal proceedings. There is also a lack of transparency on the part of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, as well as dissatisfaction with how they handle criminal complaints submitted by citizens.
EDUCATION
Complaints in the field of education have highlighted serious issues such as nepotism, conflicts of interest, and a general susceptibility to corruption. Based on the documents submitted by citizens, it can be concluded that the majority of these allegations concern higher education institutions and point to serious misuse of authority.
PROPERTY AND LEGAL ISSUES
Complaints and disputes related to property and legal matters are also common, involving disagreements over land, buildings—both residential and commercial—and prolonged procedures for resolving these issues. These cases often involve overlapping responsibilities between institutions that are supposed to provide resolutions.
CUSTOMS
Complaints related to the customs system remain consistent over the years. Dissatisfaction is most often directed at the conduct of customs officers at border crossings. This type of report tends to increase during vacation periods and public holidays, when there is a higher flow of travelers.
EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS
Complaints from dissatisfied citizens regarding employment issues are received consistently every year. There is hardly a month without someone seeking advice or reporting misunderstandings in their workplace. These issues arise in both the private and public sectors and are often similar. Common complaints include non-payment of annual bonuses—especially toward the end of the year—and frequent reports of unregistered (“off-the-books”) employment and employers not fulfilling contractual obligations.
