Serbia implements seven of nine Venice Commission recommendations on judicial reforms

The Venice Commission of the Council of Europe praised Serbia for adopting seven of the nine key recommendations contained in its urgent opinion on the ‘Mrdić’ judicial reform package. Two recommendations remain unresolved, and the commission noted that further work is needed.

Serbian officials said the amendments to the set of justice laws were drafted in line with the commission’s advice. Minister of Justice Nenad Vujić asserted that the only difference between the texts sent to parliament and those submitted to the commission is the language, stating: “the only difference… is that the parliamentary text is in Serbian.” The parliamentary Committee on Justice approved the amendments, which also include a bilateral extradition treaty with China.

Critics, including the Union of Judicial Workers and the Union of Judges, pointed out that the reforms lack the required support of the High Prosecutor’s Council and that some provisions remain contested. Nevertheless, the Venice Commission described the progress as a “significant part” of the required reforms.