Serbian Judicial Union to Appeal to Venice Commission Over Working Group Composition

The Serbian Judicial Authority Union has announced its intention to escalate concerns to the Venice Commission, protesting the composition of a working group established to draft amendments to the so-called 'Mrdić Laws.' This move underscores a deep-seated frustration within the judicial community regarding the perceived exclusion of vital professional and civil society voices from crucial legislative processes.

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does not include the most important part of the relevant professional public and civil sector – bar associations, Defense of Profession, CEPRIS, Judicial Authority Union.

According to the union's statement, the working group, handpicked by Justice Minister Nenad Vujić, conspicuously omits essential bodies such as bar associations, 'Odbranu struke,' CEPRIS, and the Judicial Authority Union itself. Instead, it reportedly includes representatives from 'carefully and selectively chosen state bodies and even more carefully chosen professional associations.' This selective approach, the union argues, renders the entire process non-transparent, undemocratic, and fundamentally non-inclusive, prioritizing a closed circle of like-minded individuals over genuine dialogue.

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includes representatives of 'carefully and selectively chosen state bodies and even more carefully chosen professional associations.'

The union further criticizes the inclusion of organizations that appear to function as government-aligned NGOs, or 'GONGOs,' questioning their true independence. This tactic, they contend, serves to create a facade of public discussion while circumventing meaningful input from independent legal professionals and rights advocates. This mirrors previous criticisms where the initial adoption of these laws was deemed by the Venice Commission itself as non-transparent, non-comprehensive, and undemocratic.

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makes the entire process non-transparent, undemocratic, and essentially non-inclusive, because instead of real dialogue, a closed circle of desirable like-minded people is chosen.

This is not the first time the Ministry of Justice has been accused of disregarding recommendations from the Venice Commission. The union points to the High Judicial Council's refusal to discuss reinstating prosecutors to the Special Department for Organized Crime as another instance of ignoring the Commission's urgent opinion. By excluding key stakeholders and potentially handpicking compliant organizations, the Ministry risks undermining the legitimacy of the judicial reforms and further eroding public trust in the legal system. From our perspective in Serbia, ensuring that judicial reforms are inclusive and genuinely reflect the needs and expertise of all relevant parties is paramount for the rule of law.

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is an attempt to 'simulate a public debate on amendments to the so-called Mrdić Laws, although the very initial process of their adoption was assessed by the Venice Commission as non-transparent, non-comprehensive and undemocratic.'