National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia / Activities / Activity details
Friday, 24 April 2015
38th Sitting of the Committee on the Judiciary, Public Administration and Local Self-Government
At the sitting held on 24 April, the members of the Committee on the Judiciary, Public Administration and Local Self-Government reviewed the Third Draft Action Plan for Chapter 24, as well as the 2014 activity reports of the High Judicial Council, State Prosecutors Council and public prosecutor’s offices on the suppression of criminality and protection of constitutionality.
The representatives of the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Justice presented the operative framework and methodology used by the task group in charge of the drafting of the Draft Action Plan, with a special focus on the subchapter relating to the judiciary and cooperation in civil and criminal matters. They emphasised the key activities to be realised according to the action plan such as impact assessment and drafting of a legislative framework with a plan for the strengthening of administrative capacities. They also stressed that Serbia is obliged to ratify the Hague Convention and sign an Agreement with Eurojust. The state needs to amend the law on personal data, join judiciary networks as an observer and strengthen its judiciary infrastructure.
After a discussion, the Committee unanimously accepted a Report in which it proposes that the European Integration Committee should give a positive opinion to the Third Draft Action Plan for Chapter 24.
The High Judicial Council 2014 Activity Report was presented by the President of the High Judicial Council Dragomir Milojevic. In the ensuing debate, the Committee members gave a positive assessment of the High Judicial Council’s work in the previous period and requested information on how the problems related to the right to trial within a reasonable period are addressed and the drafting of the Rulebook on the evaluation of the judges’ work in the Supreme Court of Cassation. After the debate, the Committee unanimously accepted the Report.
The State Prosecutors Council 2014 Activity Report was presented by State Prosecutors Council member Majda Rakic who highlighted normative activities as the most important ones in the period covered by the report, the election of 64 deputy prosecutors and the completion of 1,926 cases, which is 38.66% more than in 2013. In the reported period, the Council processed 127 complaints requesting disciplinary procedures, 64 of which were rejected, 34 remain to be checked, and five complaints have resulted in filing charges against six bearers of public prosecutor’s office. After a debate, the Committee members accepted this Report unanimously as well.
The Report on the activities of the public prosecutor’s offices on the suppression of criminality and protection of constitutionality in 2014 was presented by Zorica Stojsic, Deputy Public Prosecutor, who stressed that 2014 saw a 34% rise in number of cases compared to 2013, most of them criminal cases – 30,033, at the Republic Public Prosecutor’s Office, which is 114% more than in 2013. As regards criminality, in the reported period, 188,383 charges have been filed, 7,759 against minors, which is a 12.29% decrease. The total number of persons processed by the prosecution on the territory of Serbia is 707,937. 2014 also recorded good results after the full implementation of the new Criminal Procedure Code, and a rise in criminal charges being dropped and a decrease in convictions. As regards the implementation of the Law on Seizure and Confiscation of Proceeds from Crime, 181 orders to launch financial investigations were filed, 254 pieces of real estate were temporarily seized, while four were seized permanently from 22 persons, said Stojsic. After a debate, the Committee members unanimously accepted the presented Report.
The sitting was chaired by Petar Petrovic, Committee Chairman.
After a discussion, the Committee unanimously accepted a Report in which it proposes that the European Integration Committee should give a positive opinion to the Third Draft Action Plan for Chapter 24.
The High Judicial Council 2014 Activity Report was presented by the President of the High Judicial Council Dragomir Milojevic. In the ensuing debate, the Committee members gave a positive assessment of the High Judicial Council’s work in the previous period and requested information on how the problems related to the right to trial within a reasonable period are addressed and the drafting of the Rulebook on the evaluation of the judges’ work in the Supreme Court of Cassation. After the debate, the Committee unanimously accepted the Report.
The State Prosecutors Council 2014 Activity Report was presented by State Prosecutors Council member Majda Rakic who highlighted normative activities as the most important ones in the period covered by the report, the election of 64 deputy prosecutors and the completion of 1,926 cases, which is 38.66% more than in 2013. In the reported period, the Council processed 127 complaints requesting disciplinary procedures, 64 of which were rejected, 34 remain to be checked, and five complaints have resulted in filing charges against six bearers of public prosecutor’s office. After a debate, the Committee members accepted this Report unanimously as well.
The Report on the activities of the public prosecutor’s offices on the suppression of criminality and protection of constitutionality in 2014 was presented by Zorica Stojsic, Deputy Public Prosecutor, who stressed that 2014 saw a 34% rise in number of cases compared to 2013, most of them criminal cases – 30,033, at the Republic Public Prosecutor’s Office, which is 114% more than in 2013. As regards criminality, in the reported period, 188,383 charges have been filed, 7,759 against minors, which is a 12.29% decrease. The total number of persons processed by the prosecution on the territory of Serbia is 707,937. 2014 also recorded good results after the full implementation of the new Criminal Procedure Code, and a rise in criminal charges being dropped and a decrease in convictions. As regards the implementation of the Law on Seizure and Confiscation of Proceeds from Crime, 181 orders to launch financial investigations were filed, 254 pieces of real estate were temporarily seized, while four were seized permanently from 22 persons, said Stojsic. After a debate, the Committee members unanimously accepted the presented Report.
The sitting was chaired by Petar Petrovic, Committee Chairman.