OSCE Mission to Serbia supports constitutional reform on enhancing judicial independence

BELGRADE, 29 November 2016 – More than 200 judges and experts from Serbia discussed the constitutional reform process during a conference organized by the Supreme Court of Cassation, the OSCE Mission to Serbia and the Council of Europe today in Belgrade.

The conference, entitled ‘Towards Constitutional Amendments – The Constitutional Position of the Judiciary’, was the first meeting of representatives of Serbia’s Justice Ministry and the Supreme Court of Cassation to discuss constitutional amendments on judicial independence. The event provided a forum for the judiciary to discuss and reaffirm the need for constitutional amendments in line with the provisions of the National Judicial Reform Strategy.

“The importance of this conference is two-fold: on the one hand, it confirms the spirit and the commitment to the independence of the Serbian judiciary, and on the other, it shows the openness and inclusiveness of the consultation process for finding the best solution for improving judicial independence in the amended Constitution,” said the Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, Ambassador Andrea Orizio.

The participants also discussed the need to implement international standards within the judiciary in Serbia and they underscored the recommendations expressed in the Venice Commission’s opinion on the current Constitution. The most important recommendations include the proposal to amend the current constitutional provisions on the powers and composition of the High Judicial Council, and the election of judges and court presidents.