OSCE Mission to Serbia supports greater judicial independence

On 3 June 2014, some 50 of Serbia’s top judicial professionals gathered at an OSCE-conference in Belgrade to discuss the selection process for judges and prosecutors and the reform of the Judicial Academy.

The conference was organized in close partnership with Serbia’s High Judicial Council, and Judicial Training Academy.

During the event, the participants learned about the different models for accessing the judicial profession in Croatia, France, Germany and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and discussed the situation in Serbia and the role of the Judicial Academy in this regard.

The OSCE Moscow Declaration 1991 ascertains that the principle of the independence of the judiciary is based on three main pillars: qualification of judges; adequate training; and non-discriminatory selection.

“The selection process of judges and prosecutors is crucial in ensuring the quality of justice and judicial independence.  Our common goal is to develop a fair, merit-based, selection process which gives equal opportunities to all qualified candidates,” said Paula Thiede, Acting Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, who opened the conference.

The conference is a part of the OSCE Mission to Serbia’s wider efforts to support Serbia in establishing a merit-based career system for the selection of judges and prosecutors and an independent judicial system.