Strengthening legal guarantees for independent and impartial tribunals in Serbia

High Judicial Council and Individual Independence in Serbia As a part of the co-operation framework co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, known as the “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey” (Horizontal Facility), the Council of Europe is implementing the Action “Strengthening Legal Guarantees for Independent and Impartial Tribunals”. The Action is implemented in close partnership with the Ministry of Justice, the High Judicial Council, the State Prosecutorial Council and the Judicial Academy. The Action also includes a wide spectrum of different national stakeholders, as well as civil society organisations engaged in the field of rule of law.

This Action aims to strengthen the guarantees for independent and impartial tribunals (Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights) by supporting and initiating measures to build the capacity of the High Judicial Council (HJC) and of the State Prosecutorial Council (SPC) in countering and dealing effectively with undue internal and external pressure on the decision making process of individual judges, prosecutors, judicial and prosecutorial assistants. The Action also aims to protect judges, prosecutors, judicial and prosecutorial assistants from such risks by developing a set of internal documents to strengthen guarantees of independence, and develop a professional culture of impartiality.

The duration of the Action is set at 22 months, with an overall budget of EUR 400,000 and is expected to be completed by 28 February 2019.

Useful links

Horizontal Facility website
Leaflet - Serbia: Strengthening Legal Guarantees for Independent and Impartial Tribunals

project news

Back Public call for Training of Trainers in the field of preventing undue influence on the judiciary

Horizontal Project - Serbia: Strengthening the Independence and Accountability of the Judiciary

The Judicial Academy of the Republic of Serbia, in co-operation with the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade, is launching a public call to Serbian judges and public prosecutors to participate in the training of trainers in the field of preventing undue influence on the judiciary.

Eligible to apply to this public call are holders of judicial and prosecutorial offices in the Republic of Serbia who demonstrate special interest in the field of judicial independence, judicial and prosecutorial ethics, integrity of judicial office holders and prevention of undue influence on the judiciary.

The Judicial Academy, in co-operation with the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade, is launching a public call to judges and public prosecutors to participate in the training of trainers in the field of preventing undue influence on the judiciary.

The Council of Europe is implementing the project "Strengthening the Independence and Accountability of the Judiciary", within the joint program of the European Union and the Council of Europe "Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey - Phase 2". One of the goals of the project is for the High Judicial Council and the State Prosecutorial Council to provide stronger protection against undue influence on the judiciary, which envisages that mentors and lecturers of the Judicial Academy have skills for conducting training programs on preventing undue influence on the judiciary, including the public prosecution.

The aim of the call is to select up to 12 judicial office holders through a public and transparent process, who will form a group that will attend the training of trainers organised in the format of two three-day training sessions to be held in the period from June to September 2021. Selected lecturers will also participate in delivering one-day training sessions for judicial office holders in the role of lecturers, together with the Council of Europe experts. One-day training sessions will be held in the period from October 2021 to February 2022.

Eligible to apply to this public call are holders of judicial and prosecutorial offices who demonstrate special interest in the field of judicial independence, judicial and prosecutorial ethics, integrity of judicial office holders and prevention of undue influence on the judiciary.

Deadline to apply is Tuesday, 30 March 2021. More details as well as information on how to apply are available on the website of the Serbian Judicial Academy [in Serbian only].

Serbia DEADLINE: 30 March 2021