Strengthening independence and accountability of the judiciary

What is the goal?

► building the capacities of judges, prosecutors, judicial and prosecutorial assistants to detect and counter risks of undue influence
► reinforcing internal mechanisms, rules and procedures within the High Judicial Council (HJC) and the State Prosecutorial Council (SPC) to guarantee judicial and prosecutorial independence.

Who benefits from the Action?

► the High Judicial Council, the State Prosecutorial Council, the Judicial Academy and the Ministry of Justice
► court users will benefit from a more transparent and effective judiciary
► Serbian citizens will benefit from the judiciary that is more independent and accountable.

How will the Action work?

► through expert advice/opinions, round tables, expert meetings/working groups, training session, peer-to-peer discussions organised in co-operation with beneficiaries
► through preparing publications that will contribute to strengthening the independence and the accountability of the judiciary and of the prosecutorial service of the Republic of Serbia and to improving the public confidence in the judicial system.

What do we expect to achieve?

► The establishment of a fair and merit-based system of performance evaluation and career advancement of judicial professionals
► The enhancement of the co-operation and the information flow between the executive and the judiciary.

How much will it cost?

► The total budget of the Action is 750.000 EUR.
► The budget allocated to the overall Horizontal Facility programme amounts to ca. 41 Million EUR (85% funded by the European Union, 15% by the Council of Europe).

How to get more information?

► Directorate General I: Human Rights and Rule of Law https://www.coe.int/en/web/human-rights-rule-of-law
► Horizontal Facility website: https://pjp-eu.coe.int/en/web/horizontal-facility/home
► Marija Simić, Horizontal Facility Communication Officer, Marija.SIMIC@coe.int, +381 63 601 337
Besnik Baka, Horizontal Facility Communication Officer, Besnik.BAKA@coe.int, +355 69 217 8430