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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Mediation law to boost efficiency of judiciary

Belgrade, 5 November 2004

Serbian Deputy Minister of Justice Branislav Bjelica said today that a new mediation law will help speed up court proceedings, boost the efficiency of the Serbian judiciary and further encourage judicial reforms.

Branislav Bjelica

Attending a public debate on a draft law on mediation, Bjelica said that mediation is new to the Serbian judiciary, but noted that a civil procedure bill includes mediation. According to him, mediation will also contribute to restoring confidence in the country's judiciary.

According to OSCE Mission to Serbia-Montenegro deputy head Douglas Wake, mediation will improve the efficiency of Serbian courts, which will in turn help bolster confidence of foreign investors.

Wake also said that the OSCE will help train future mediators if the parliament adopts the law.

Representatives of the Ministry of Justice, the Serbian Chief Justice, officials of district courts, the public prosecutor's office and the public attorney's office, members of the parliament's legislative and judicial committees, as well as representative of the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the European Agency for Reconstruction (EAR), the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the Serbian bar association, the association of Serbian judges and non-governmental organisations also took part in the debate.