With the support of the joint CoE/EU Project "Support for the Implementation of Judicial Reform in Serbia", the Forum of Judges of Serbia hosted a conference at Silver Lake on 1 to 3 October 2025. The event was organised in cooperation with the Council of Europe Regional Project on Human Rights and Sustainable Environment in South-East Europe and the HF Project Protecting freedom of expression and freedom of the media in Serbia (PRO-FREX-S). The event brought together over 60 judges from different jurisdictions in Serbia, as well as two judges from North Macedonia, to discuss contemporary matters relevant to their practice. Several topics were addressed through the panel sessions, including environmental protection in ECtHR case law, freedom of expression of judges, as well a special session on SLAPP and the role of the courts in implementing the Council of Europe Recommendation CM/Rec(2024)2.
The joint CoE/EU Project "Support for the Implementation of Judicial Reform in Serbia" hosted a panel session on the use of AI tools in the judiciary. Local Council of Europe expert presented relevant information on the concept of AI, the European standards and new regulations in this field, different risk classification of AI tools, including ethical dilemmas associated with this topic. The discussion focused on key low-risk tools that could be utilised in the administration of justice (e.g., translation, speech-to-text systems, text formatting), as well as more complex systems (case management, anonymisation), including clarifications of diverse levels of risks and potential benefits of their use.
The conference was an excellent opportunity for knowledge exchange on various matters relevant to efficiency, openness in the judiciary, and strengthening capacities of judges in contemporary matters. The joint EU/CoE project "Support for the Implementation of Judicial Reform in Serbia" continues to support local and regional exchange of knowledge and experiences all aimed to improve the implementation of European standards in the Serbian judiciary.