European Court President Sir Nicolas Bratza briefed the National Assembly Speaker on the number of cases from Serbia before the court in Strasbourg, stressing that Serbia was the sixth country by the number of cases, and adding that most of the cases deal with non-execution of sentences and non-payment of servicemen’s daily wages. Deeming that part of the problem lies in the slow execution of sentences, Sir Bratza added that the Court of Human Rights is labouring under a slew of cases, so the resulting delay should be addressed at the national level.

Briefing National Assembly Speaker Stefanovic on the reform of the European Court of Human Rights, he proposed that Serbia’s young judges should spend some time in Strasbourg to learn about the operational process and procedure.

NARS Speaker Nebojsa Stefanovic informed his esteemed guest and his colleagues that the new Assembly legislature’s Human Rights Committee had been founded in line with the recommendations of the Brighton Declaration. Deeming that the Assembly lacks the appropriate number of experts on human rights issues, he asked the representatives of the Strasbourg court to assist the Committee and NARS Service via professional trainings.

The European Court President was pleased to hear about the creation of the relevant Committee and promised to personally urge for the organisation of such trainings.

The NARS Speaker noted that Serbia, unlike some other countries, has not been delivered a sentence in Strasbourg calling for an amendment of its Constitution adding that, if Serbian laws were found to be contradictory by Human Rights Court decision, the National Assembly would take initiative to see the disputed law amended.

Speaker Stefanovic also informed his guests that the National Assembly plans to organise a debate on the Brighton Declaration and asked the representatives of the international human rights court to be the keynote speakers in the debate, which they were pleased to accept.