Judges, Prosecutors and Lawyers Protest Against New Judicial Legislation in Belgrade

Special Court Building in Belgrade (BETAPHOTO/MILAN OBRADOVIC)

Judges, prosecutors and lawyers rallied in Belgrade on Feb. 21 for a March for Justice protest against recently adopted judicial legislation which, the protesters said, threatens the independence of courts and prosecutor's offices.

Radovan Lazic of the Appellate Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad said in a speech that lawlessness was rampant in Serbia and that the purpose of the new legislation, sponsored by Serbian Progressive Party MP Ugljesa Mrdic, was to exempt government representatives from responsibility. "When parts of the justice system felt the pulse of society and began to apply the law unselectively, public officials started insulting judges and prosecutors," Lazic said.

Aleksandar Jovanovic of the Basic Court in Novi Pazar said in his address that the new legislation had been passed without a public discussion and by violating other laws, calling on all judges to speak out. Vladimir Prijovic, head of the Belgrade Bar Association, said "people who don't know the first thing about the law" could not decide on the rights of judges and prosecutors.

The organizers of the protest were the Judicial Authority Union, the Association of Prosecutor's of Serbia, the In Defense of the Profession organization and the Center for Judicial Research (CEPRIS). The Serbian parliament passed the new judicial legislation on Jan. 28. It was published in the Official Gazette two days later, after Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic signed it into law, despite warnings from the European Union and requests for revising the legislation to align it with European standards.