News
ABA ROLI Survey Shows Economic Potential of Misdemeanor Court in Serbia
In March 2008, Belgrade’s Media Center, the Association of Magistrates of the Republic of Serbia, and ABA Rule of Law Initiative organized the roll-out of the Economic Aspect of Misdemeanor Court Survey. The results of the survey demonstrated that if properly applied, the misdemeanor court could have contributed 48.6 million Euros to the State Budget in 2006. Read more »»
Serbia’s Schools Take Ownership of Court Internship Program
After three years, 11 rounds and more than 1700 law school students, the Court Internship Program, a joint program of the ABA Rule of Law Initiative and the Young Lawyers of Serbia, has become a part of the curriculum in three Serbian law schools. Read more »»
Combating Financial Crime in Serbia
In February 2008, the ABA Rule of Law Initiative completed the last of four financial crimes training seminars for prosecutors and law enforcement officials throughout Serbia. Read more »»
Programs
Anti-Corruption
Anti-Corruption efforts by the ABA Rule of Law Initiative has focused on prevention mechanisms by fostering a more open and accountable government to its citizens. To this end, ROLI participates in activities that help to ensure that judges and prosecutors who are charged with administering justice do so in a way that is professionally and ethically responsible. By providing technical assistance to the drafting committees of the Prosecutors’ Association of Serbia and the Judges’ Association of Serbia, ROLI has been working with the internal Ethics Councils of these groups in their efforts to codify a professional code of conduct and disciplinary provisions. Read more »»
Legal Profession Reform 
The Legal Profession Reform program works to assist in creating a well-functioning, well-trained, independent group of judges, prosecutors, and magistrates that meet the highest standards of integrity. The ABA Rule of Law Initiative’s legal profession reform work involves capacity-building and technical assistance to its partnering organizations: the Judges’ Association of Serbia (JAS), the Prosecutors’ Association of Serbia (PAS) and Magistrates’ Association of Serbia (MAS). Read more »»
Young Legal Professionals Development
Young Legal Professionals Development is vital to the future of legal reform and rule of law development in Serbia and the ABA Rule of Law Initiative has focused its efforts on improving the legal education system. In 2003, Serbia formally joined the Bologna Process, a Europe-wide initiative to create uniformity among academic degrees and quality assurance. Compliance with the Bologna Process has been mandated by the Serbian Law on Education and all universities must be in compliance by September 2007. ROLI is dedicated to helping Serbian law schools improve their curriculum as well as comply with the requirements of the Bologna Process, including the need to incorporate more practical training for law students. Read more »»
Bar Development
The Bar Development program has found a natural ally with the various bar associations in Serbia. Although the institutional culture of the bar associations in Serbia has been slow to assume a pro-active role in the education of the legal profession, Rule of Law Initiative’s bar development program has focused its efforts on regional bar associations that have demonstrated real interest and enthusiasm for ROLI-sponsored training programs. Read more »»
Continuing Legal Education
The Continuing Legal Education program focuses on providing quality training programs for judges, magistrates, prosecutors and members of local Serbian bar associations. Due to recently passed legislation, lawyers in many fields have been required to change the fundamental way they perform their functions. To ensure that the legal community is properly trained to understand and adapt to the new legislative and institutional reforms within the judiciary, the ABA Rule of Law Initiative has conducted a series of continuing legal education seminars. Read more »»
Publications
- Serbia Law on Free Access to Information of Public Importance: Analysis of the Law and Its Implementation in Practice (June 2007). Also available in Serbian
- Comparative Overview of Basic Principles on the Position of the Prosecution Service (February 2007). Also available in Serbian
- Comparative Overview of the Basic Principles Related to the Judiciary (February 2007). Also available in Serbian
- Judicial Reform Index for Serbia - Volume II (September 2005). Also available in Serbian
Neil Nolen
Country Director
11000 Belgrade, Serbia Phone: + 381 11 245 9024; + 381 11 244 1568
Fax: + 381 11 243 6531
Email: office@abaceeliyu.org
Background
The ABA Rule of Law Initiative initiated its program in Serbia in 1997 with the placement of its first Rule of Law Liaison in Belgrade. Today, ROLI’s American staff in Belgrade consists of a country director. ROLI’s resident staff in Belgrade includes a deputy country director, six staff attorneys, a translator, an office manager, and an administrative assistant.
The Rule of Law Initiative has been instrumental in helping Serbia’s legal professionals reestablish the rule of law in Serbia and today centers its programs in the areas of Legal Profession Reform, Continuing Legal Education, Bar Development, Young Legal Professionals Development, and Anti-Corruption. Within these focal areas, ROLI works with the following partner organizations: Judges’ Association of Serbia, Prosecutors’ Association of Serbia, Magistrates’ Association of Serbia, Young Lawyers of Serbia, and Belgrade Center for Human Rights.
Meet Our Staff
Damir Milutinović joined the ABA Rule of Law Initiative in July 2005. He works in the areas of Anti-Corruption. Damir graduated from Belgrade Law Faculty’s Department for International Law in 2002. Before joining ABA-ROLI, he worked for the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights where he was the project coordinator charged with poverty eradication and economic and social rights issues. Read more »»
