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A:
Government aims at systematic judicial reform
Belgrade,
28 October 2008
Serbian Minister of Justice Snezana Malovic said today that the Ministry’s top priorities are a systematic reform of the judiciary, the fight against corruption and organised crime as well as EU integration.
Snezana Malovic
At a press conference regarding the first 100 days of the government’s work, Malovic said that the government adopted many laws regarding the fight against organised crime and corruption, and drafted a set of laws in order to provide an independent, efficient and transparent judiciary.
She specified that the government had adopted laws on the anti-corruption agency, the financing of political parties, confiscation of illegally obtained property, personal privacy and automatic processing of personal information.
According to her, the draft laws on the High Judiciary Council, State Council of Prosecutors, judges, public prosecutor’s office, court structure, headquarters and fields of activity for courts and public prosecutors’ offices as well as amendments to the law on offence will soon enter the parliament procedure.
Malovic said that the Ministry discovered 4,316 obsolete criminal cases for the period 2002-2007 and 517 legal sentences which have become obsolete during the previous two years
She pointed out that the Ministry also encountered a soft penalty policy especially for murder, rape, drug trading, family violence and abuse of office.
The Minister recalled that the judge of the Odzaci municipal court was killed in 2007, while the judge of the Knjazevac municipal court was killed this year, adding that there were 93 cases of bombs being placed in judicial buildings.
She said that in certain courts a judge tries one case every three months, yet in Belgrade a single judge deals with 10 cases per month.
Malovic said that only the High Judiciary Council is authorized to decide the number of judges working at state level.
She said that according to the law on court jurisdiction and public prosecutors there should be 34 basic courts with general and special jurisdictions, instead of the present 173 municipal courts.
According to plans Belgrade will have two general courts, of which one will take over the functions of five municipal courts and the other suburban municipal courts, said the Minister, adding that the purpose of the reorganisation is to have a uniform distribution of cases.
Malovic said that the Albanian prosecutors office did not turn down the Serbia war crimes prosecution office demand for launching an investigation into cases of alleged human organ trafficking.
She said that Serbian war crimes prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic talked yesterday in Tirana with Albanian prosecutor-general Ina Rama about a probe into organ trafficking and it was agreed that Albanian and Serbian sides will exchange all available evidence.
State Secretary at the Justice Ministry Slobodan Homen said that reconstruction of a special court in the Belgrade District Jail will be completed in December, which will provide greater safety to employees and citizens and reduce expenses for transport from the jail to the court.
Homen said that the installation of metal detectors, X-ray security screening systems and video surveillance equipment in court premises is either completed or soon will be.
He noted that 93 tips on bombs in courts were received which prevented court employees from performing their daily tasks and interrupted court proceedings, and announced that a bomb detector will be put up at the entrance to the Justice Palace in Belgrade.
According to him, the Ministry of Justice hired additional security personnel in courts and trained guards in order to increase safety on court premises.
She specified that the government had adopted laws on the anti-corruption agency, the financing of political parties, confiscation of illegally obtained property, personal privacy and automatic processing of personal information.
According to her, the draft laws on the High Judiciary Council, State Council of Prosecutors, judges, public prosecutor’s office, court structure, headquarters and fields of activity for courts and public prosecutors’ offices as well as amendments to the law on offence will soon enter the parliament procedure.
Malovic said that the Ministry discovered 4,316 obsolete criminal cases for the period 2002-2007 and 517 legal sentences which have become obsolete during the previous two years
She pointed out that the Ministry also encountered a soft penalty policy especially for murder, rape, drug trading, family violence and abuse of office.
The Minister recalled that the judge of the Odzaci municipal court was killed in 2007, while the judge of the Knjazevac municipal court was killed this year, adding that there were 93 cases of bombs being placed in judicial buildings.
She said that in certain courts a judge tries one case every three months, yet in Belgrade a single judge deals with 10 cases per month.
Malovic said that only the High Judiciary Council is authorized to decide the number of judges working at state level.
She said that according to the law on court jurisdiction and public prosecutors there should be 34 basic courts with general and special jurisdictions, instead of the present 173 municipal courts.
According to plans Belgrade will have two general courts, of which one will take over the functions of five municipal courts and the other suburban municipal courts, said the Minister, adding that the purpose of the reorganisation is to have a uniform distribution of cases.
Malovic said that the Albanian prosecutors office did not turn down the Serbia war crimes prosecution office demand for launching an investigation into cases of alleged human organ trafficking.
She said that Serbian war crimes prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic talked yesterday in Tirana with Albanian prosecutor-general Ina Rama about a probe into organ trafficking and it was agreed that Albanian and Serbian sides will exchange all available evidence.
State Secretary at the Justice Ministry Slobodan Homen said that reconstruction of a special court in the Belgrade District Jail will be completed in December, which will provide greater safety to employees and citizens and reduce expenses for transport from the jail to the court.
Homen said that the installation of metal detectors, X-ray security screening systems and video surveillance equipment in court premises is either completed or soon will be.
He noted that 93 tips on bombs in courts were received which prevented court employees from performing their daily tasks and interrupted court proceedings, and announced that a bomb detector will be put up at the entrance to the Justice Palace in Belgrade.
According to him, the Ministry of Justice hired additional security personnel in courts and trained guards in order to increase safety on court premises.
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