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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Improving efficiency, transparency of work of magistrates’ courts

Belgrade, 1 August 2013

Minister of Justice and Public Administration Nikola Selakovic met today with Director of USAID's Judicial Reform and Government Accountability Project (JRGA) Laurence Vetter to discuss further cooperation in the strengthening of the capacity of magistrates' courts.

According to a statement by the Ministry of Justice and Public Administration, Selakovic said at the meeting that Serbian Parliament adopted a new Law on offences which contains a number of new elements that will improve the work of magistrates' courts in Serbia.

Selakovic pointed out that the Ministry of Justice and Public Administration has established a working group for the implementation of the law, in order to provide all necessary legislative, financial and staffing solutions for the beginning of its application in March 2014.

Vetter said that the USAID continues to support Serbia through the Judicial Reform and Government Accountability (JRGA) project in its efforts to improve the efficiency and transparency of the magistrates' courts, as well as their harmonisation with citizens’ needs.

He said that through the project activities, the USAID provided a significant amount of computer equipment and performed reconstructions of several buildings of misdemeanour courts in cities such as Ruma, Loznica and Novi Sad in recent months.

Selakovic and Vetter agreed that in the future, special attention must be paid to the adaptation of the future building of the Magistrates’ Court in Belgrade, which is supposed to have over ninety courthouses with all the necessary supporting infrastructure so that it could work efficiently.

Selakovic said that the Ministry of Justice and Public Administration already started working on projects for the reconstruction of buildings of certain courts in Serbia, such as the building of the former Municipal Court at Petrovac na Mlavi, Sjenica and Aleksinac, but that the final plans will be made concrete after the adoption of the law on the network of courts.

Vetter pointed out that JRGA project will provide the necessary professional and financial assistance to the ministry, so that the best possible solutions for new infrastructure projects could be made, it is added in the statement.