OSCE Mission, Supreme Court organize regional conference to improve efficiency of courts in Serbia
BELGRADE, 15 November 2006 - A two-day meeting organized by the OSCE Mission to Serbia and the country's Supreme Court to review the implementation of the 2004 Civil Procedure Code of Serbia began in Belgrade today.
The conference is part of the OSCE Mission's engagement in support of the national consultation process that led to the adoption of the Civil Procedure Code in November 2004. The Code provides the fundamental legal basis for regulating everyday rights and relations, and the resolution of civil disputes between citizens, as well as between citizens and the state.
"The civil procedure, particularly the Civil Procedure Code, has a pivotal role in ensuring a fair and efficient court protection of people's rights and interests in a democratic society," said Ambassador Hans Ola Urstad, Head of the OSCE Mission. "Adoption of the Code is only the first step, though, and the true test lies in its implementation."
Ambassador Urstad urged participants to seek to define clear strategies to improve and accelerate civil procedure implementation in Serbia. "The efficiency of the courts should be improved, the fair and effective protection of the rights of people safeguarded, and the rule of law in Serbia strengthened."
The participants will examine the implementation practice of the Code and the experience of neighbouring countries. They will also identify problems with the current system and the means to overcome them, especially focusing on the use of evidence, appeal procedures, judicial review, and other remedies, to make court processes more timely and fair. The participants include regional and domestic legal experts, judges, prosecutors and other legal professionals.