The Bill on Preventing Domestic Violence was elaborated by Radomir Ilic, State Secretary at the Ministry of Justice, and Zoran Balinovac, Assistant Minister of Justice. Radomir Ilic said that the Bill aims to regulate, in a general and unified manner, the organization and activity of state bodies and institutions thus enabling an effective deterrent to domestic violence. He added that what is needed is better coordination among the state authorities and that the Bill introduces an innovative approach, which is specialization of the state authorities, primarily the police and prosecution. He informed the Committee members that it is the state authorities’ duty to assess the risk and based on it issue the offender an emergency measure of 48-hour removal. During risk assessment, the offices pays special attention to whether the alleged offender had at an earlier time or immediately before the risk assessment committed domestic violence and whether he is ready to repeat it. The State Secretary went on to say that according to the Bill the relevant police administration would keep a record on reported instances of domestic violence and that the data would be kept for five years in the Central Records, after which they will be expunged. The Bill also stipulates that a person who violates the emergency measure issued would be imprisoned for 60 days for the offense. He added that the Serbian Government had established a Council for the suppression of domestic violence to monitor the implementation of the law.

Following a debate the Committee members decided to accept the Bill on Preventing Domestic Violence, in principle, by majority vote.

The Bill amending and modifying the Criminal Code was also elaborated by State Secretary at the Ministry of Justice Radomir Ilic who said that the changes are comprehensive and divided into several segments. The first concerns business crime and offenses against official duty, the second crimes concerning the Istanbul Convention and the third criminal cases launched at the initiative of other ministries. He said that the implementation of the Istanbul Convention is of particular interest for the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality and the Ministry of Justice had instituted several criminal offenses regards it such as stalking, sexual harassment, forced marriage, genital mutilation and stricter penalties for domestic violence.

Tanja Ignjatovic, representative of the Autonomous Women’s Centre, took part in the discussion and shared a number of suggestions and proposals concerning both bills.

Following a debate the Committee members decided to accept the Bill amending and modifying the Criminal Code, in principle, by majority vote.

The Committee members then proceeded to unanimously elect Meho Omerovic member of the Commission for the Control of the Execution of Criminal Sanctions.

The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairman Meho Omerovic and attended by the following Committee members and deputy members: Milena Turk, Olena Papuga, Nikola Jolovic, Ljibuska Lakatos, Fatmir Hasani, Enis Imamovic, Srdjan Nogo, Milanka Jevtovic Vukojicic, Maja Videnovic, Tatjana Macura, Olivera Ognjanovic, Ljiljana Malusic and Milena Bicanin.