Judiciary union president: "Mrdić's laws" are an international disgrace for Serbia worth 1.5 billion euros

Serbia's judiciary is under fire following the passage of controversial laws, dubbed "Mrdić's laws," which critics argue were designed to halt specific legal proceedings rather than benefit society. The Venice Commission is poised to release its final assessment of these amendments, which have been widely criticized as a regression in Serbia's justice sector.

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Mrdić's laws are private laws enacted to stop a very specific procedure, not to benefit Serbian society as a whole.

Nemanja Đurić, president of the Judicial Union of Serbia, dismissed claims of positive reception to the Venice Commission's opinion. He stated that the commission merely recommended reverting the judicial system to its state before the "Mrdić's laws" were enacted. Đurić likened the situation to a remedial class where students, despite knowing the questions, failed to answer correctly. He emphasized that the commission's request was straightforward: to revert to the previous legal framework.

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There is no room for any enthusiasm because the Venice Commission recommended returning things in the judiciary to the state before the so-called Mrdić's laws were passed.

"It's like having something written and you just need to erase it. What can be praiseworthy about that, to take an eraser and wipe away what you've written?" Đurić questioned, suggesting the only action required was to reinstate the prior legal solutions. He reiterated his view that these laws were "private laws enacted to stop a very specific procedure," not to serve the broader Serbian society. He noted that even Venice Commission rapporteurs understood the context, recognizing the laws were not about judicial improvement but about personal arrangements.

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It's like having something written and you just need to erase it. What can be praiseworthy about that, to take an eraser and wipe away what you've written?

Đurić also pointed out that several detrimental provisions remain in the proposed amendments, particularly concerning special departments and the appointment of acting high public prosecutors and other chief public prosecutors. He indicated that the fight for a better judicial system in Serbia is far from over, despite these developments.

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It was absolutely not about improving the judiciary, but about some personal arrangements, that these are actually private laws, I once called them Selaković's laws.