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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Establishing system of accountability, criteria for assessment in judiciary

Belgrade, 21 October 2013

Minister of Justice and Public Administration Nikola Selakovic met today with the new advisor of the Serbian government for European integration, former foreign minister of Italy and former vice president of the European Commission Franco Frattini.

Franco Frattini and Nikola Selakovic

Frattini praised the reforms that have been initiated in the field of judiciary in Serbia, adding that he is familiar with the positive report of the European Commission which gives Serbia an excellent position in the further negotiations for accession to the EU.

He said that the Ministry of Justice and Public Administration must focus on the implementation of the policies and legislation adopted, and on the creating of conditions for Serbian citizens to feel positive effects of the reforms implemented in the judiciary.

Selakovic pointed out that activities of the ministry in the past year were mostly directed at solving the most pressing problems in the judiciary.

He recalled that the Ministry prepared some very important laws – amendments to the Law on the organisation of courts and the Law on judges and public prosecutors, which will be forwarded to Serbian parliament for discussion soon.

The Minister added that the working groups of the Ministry are preparing new laws, such as a law on free legal aid and law on mediation in resolution of disputes.

Pointing to the results achieved so far, Selakovic commented on the difficulties which Serbian courts have, such as a large number of unresolved cases and the duration of court proceedings.

He expressed his belief that the adoption of new laws and the beginning of work of notaries public will enable the establishment of a system that will speed up the resolution of these problems.

Selakovic and Frattini agreed that it is necessary to introduce a system of accountability and criteria for assessment in the judiciary, and also to strengthen the independence of judges and public prosecutors so that the legal system could be more efficient and just, it is added in the statement of the Ministry of Justice and Public Administration.