HIGH PROSECUTORIAL COUNCIL AND JUDICIAL REFORM
Keywords:
High Prosecutorial Council, Serbia, Constitutional Amendments, Judiciary, ReformAbstract
Purpose
The High Prosecutorial Council serves to protect the autonomous status of both the operation and status of public prosecutor’s organization in the Republic of Serbia. This paper tends to explain new powers and competences of the HPC and ways how it is supposed to improve the quality, efficiency and impartiality of the criminal prosecution in the Republic of Serbia.
Design/Methods/Approach
In order to thoroughly analyze the topic of this paper, comparative, normative and exegetical methods are used. The composition of Serbian HPC is such that it embodies both the representatives of the sovereign people (through the election of four members – “prominent lawyers”), as well as public prosecutors elected by their own colleagues from the public prosecution organization. This serves to ensure both the prevalence of the professional element, as well as the connection to the sovereign people.
Findings
Constitutional amendments brought substantial changes to the system, as well as the position and authorities of the individual public prosecutors. Additionally, wide spectrum of new means for the protection of integrity of the particular public prosecutor is introduced. For the whole system to function properly, changes within the HPC, in the sense of its activity and proactive stance is required. The success of such shift from the previous ways of SCP is expected to significantly contribute to the overall success of the judicial reform.
Originality/Value
This paper presents an attempt to provide scholarly analysis of the new constitutional and legislative framework within the domain of the reformed public prosecutors’ organization in the Republic of Serbia. Since the legal solutions are new and their application has just started, it is important to provide further scholarly foundations, that may serve not only for scientific purposes, but also as a reference for future bylaw and other normative undertakings.
Keywords: High Prosecutorial Council, Serbia, Constitutional Amendments, Judiciary, Reform
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