Committee Chairman Dr Ugljesa Mrdic greeted the participants of the public hearing, Minister of Justice Nenad Vujic and his assistants Jovan Cosic and Branislav Stojanovic, MP Miroslav Petrasinovic, as well as representatives of ministries, international organisations, judicial bodies and organisations, the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, civil society organisations, and the City of Kragujevac City Administration.

He recalled that at its 27th sitting, held on 29 July 2026, the Committee decided to hold public hearings on these topics, with the aim of obtaining expert opinions and contributions from the interested public.

Minister of Justice Nenad Vujic presented the Bill on the Judicial Academy, emphasising that it represents one of the key steps in judicial reform and fulfilling the obligations from the Action Plan for Chapter 23 in the negotiations with the European Union.

As he said, the Bill incorporates the key recommendations of the Venice Commission, and the new, depoliticised structure of the governing bodies should ensure the independence of the Academy. He particularly highlighted that the reformed composition of the Board of Directors and the Programme Council, aims to make the Judicial Academy a unique and objective system for entering the Serbian judiciary and to contribute to the expertise, integrity and independence of future judges and prosecutors.

MP Miroslav Petrasinovic presented the Draft Law amending and modifying the Law on Prevention of Corruption, which, together with amendments to the Law on Financing Political Activities, aims to improve electoral conditions and implement ODIHR recommendations.

He said that the proposed amendments introduce stricter rules regarding the incompatibility of public office, more clearly separate the exercise of public office from party activity on social networks, and improve the transparency of the work of the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption. The amendments to the Law on Financing Political Activities additionally regulate the financing of election campaigns, the activities of third parties in the campaign, the control of political party financing and donations, as well as mechanisms for promoting women's equality in the electoral process.

The public hearing was attended by Committee member Verica Milanovic, as well as MPs Ilo Mihajlovski, Anita Nesic, Risto Kostov, Dane Stanojcic, Ana Beloica Martac, Zdravko Mladenovic and Natasa Jovanovic.

The Committee will hold its next public hearing on the same topic on 19 August 2026 in Nis.