Association of Judges of Serbia seeks more time for public hearing discussions on Judicial Academy

The Association of Judges of Serbia has formally requested more time for deliberations during public hearings concerning the proposed Law on the Judicial Academy and related legislative proposals. The association conveyed its concerns in a letter addressed to the President of the Serbian Parliament, Ana Brnabić, as well as the president of the parliamentary Committee on Judiciary, Public Administration, and Local Self-Government, Uglješa Mrdić, and all parliamentary groups.

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After participating in the public hearings held in Kragujevac, Niš, and Novi Sad, the Association pointed out that speakers were allowed only about ten minutes for their presentations, without the possibility to respond to comments and rebuttals from the Minister of Justice in a reasonably short time.

Following their participation in public hearings held in Kragujevac, Niš, and Novi Sad, the Association of Judges highlighted that speakers were allocated only about ten minutes for their presentations. Crucially, this limited timeframe did not allow for adequate responses to comments and rebuttals from the Minister of Justice, hindering a thorough exchange of views.

An analysis of available recordings revealed that the Minister of Justice, Nenad Vujić, and the committee president, Miroslav Petrašinović, consumed approximately 60% of the total time across three hearings. The remaining 40% was shared among all other participants, a distribution the Association deems inequitable.

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The Minister of Justice Nenad Vujić, the President of the Committee and MP of the Serbian Progressive Party Miroslav Petrašinović used about 60 percent of the total time in three public hearings, while all other participants together were given about 40 percent.

To foster a more substantive and balanced discussion, the Association proposed that at the final public hearing scheduled for August 21 in Belgrade, each speaker be granted 15 minutes for their presentation, with an additional five minutes for a rebuttal. They also suggested that the Minister of Justice should consolidate his comments and responses to be delivered after a significant number of participants have concluded their statements. This approach, they argue, would ensure conditions for a more meaningful and equitable debate, contributing to a higher quality legislative process.

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that each speaker be allowed 15 minutes for their presentation and an additional five minutes for a rebuttal, and that the Minister of Justice 'consolidate his comments and responses and present them after all or a larger number of participants have finished their presentations'.