At its tenth session, held on 8 April, the European Integrations Committee discussed provisions on insult and slander of the draft Criminal Code.

The Committee discussed provisions of Schedule 17 of the draft Criminal Code, relating to defamation, as debated whether they were in accordance with European Union and Council of Europe regulations. Special attention was paid to the possibility of decriminalising offences relating to defamation, as well as to penal provisions and extent of fines for such offences.

Officials of the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Culture took part in the session, as did the chairman of the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia, Nebojsa Bugarinovic, and chairman of the Journalists’ Association of Serbia, Nino Brajovic, who presented the position of journalists regarding provisions in the draft Criminal Code relating to public slander and slander in the media, and sanctions foreseen for journalists.

The session was also attended by Jovan Palalic, chairman of the Justice and Administration Committee, and Aleksandar Lazarevic, chairman of the Committee on Culture and Information.

The Committee resolved to uphold the proposal made by Committee member Djordje Mamula,who proposed that provisions of the draft Criminal Code foreseeing prison sentences for defamation to be deleted. Deputies also endorsed the proposal of journalists’ associations for journalists not to be penalised if they can prove that they acted with due care and in accordance with the Public Information Act in publishing information.