Justice Minister: Changes to the Set of Judicial laws Don’t Deviate from the Venice Commission’s Recommendations

Nenad Vujic (BETAPHOTO/MILAN ILIC)

Justice Minister Nenad Vujic on March 17 said that the amendments to the set of judicial laws “do not deviate in any aspect” from the recommendations the Venice Commission made during the drafting of constitutional amendments and accompanying laws, but some of the those recommendations had been adopted only now, that is, fully implemented.

In a meeting with members of the Venice Commission in Belgrade, Vujic said that all legal provisions were based on constitutional decisions adopted in 2022 and guarantees for the independence of the judiciary and the independence of the public prosecution offices, the Ministry said in a release.

“The minister told the Venice Commission’s delegation that the amendments to the law shall strengthen the mandate of the High Prosecutorial Council by expanding its powers in relation to the institute of referral of public prosecutors, in accordance with Commission’s earlier recommendations. He also stressed that no new powers of the executive power in relation to the judiciary have been introduced, nor have the legal amendments left room for any political influence on individual judges or decisions of prosecution offices,” it is said in the release.

The minister, according to the release, “informed in detail” the Venice Commission members about the implementation of amendments to the Law on Public Prosecution, the Law on Organization and Competence of Government Authorities in Combating High-Tech Crime, the Law on the High Prosecutorial Council, the Law on Judges, and the Law on Seats and Territorial Jurisdictions of Courts and Public Prosecutor’s Offices, also known as “Mrdic Laws.”

“Serbia remains fully committed to strengthening the independence, responsibility and efficiency of the judicial system, in accordance with its Constitution and European standards,” Vujic stressed.