On 16 December, an online expert conference took place focusing on the implementation of the ECHR judgment in Zorica Jovanović v. Serbia concerning missing babies. On 29 February, a law set up an independent investigation mechanism to establish the fate of missing babies in Serbia. In its decision of March 2020, the Committee of Ministers invited Serbia to rapidly take the necessary practical measures to ensure the efficient operation of the above mechanism, including the training of investigating judges.
The conference aimed to support Serbian judges to effectively implement the ECHR judgment and provided a platform for constructive exchange about outstanding challenges arising from the implementation of the above law. The discussion was complemented by an intervention on good practices and lessons learned from Argentina’s judicial proceedings in similar cases, presented by an Argentinian lawyer and human rights expert.
The conference, which was organised by the Council of Europe in co-operation with the Judicial Academy of Serbia, brought together judges of appellate and higher courts dealing with these cases, the Government Agent before the European Court, Judicial Academy lecturers as well as a representative of the Execution Department.
The expert discussion was organised within the Action “Strengthening the effective legal remedies to human rights violations in Serbia”, implemented under the European Union and Council of Europe Joint Programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022”.
