News
ABA ROLI Celebrates 12 Years in Serbia
On February 23, the ABA Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) celebrated 12 years of programming in Serbia. ABA ROLI Director Rob Boone, U.S. Ambassador to Serbia Cameron Munter, U.S. Court of Appeals Judge for the D.C. Circuit Thomas Griffith, local partners and members of the donor community attended the event. Read more »»
ABA ROLI Organizes Personal Data Protection Training in Serbia
In January 2009, the ABA Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) organized a two-day training for the Serbian Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection, Rodoljub Sabic, and his staff. Well-respected Slovenian experts, Natasa Pirc Musar, Slovenian commissioner of information, and Antrej Tomsic, Slovenian deputy commissioner of information, conducted the training. Read more »»
Serbian Judicial Stakeholders Take Part in Case Weighting Conference
The ABA Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI), in cooperation with the Judges Association of Serbia (JAS), successfully organized a video conference on case weighting in Belgrade’s Sava Center on January 16. Case weighting is a critical tool for determining how many judges are needed in the court system and for apportioning cases among judges. Read more »»
Programs
- Anti-Corruption and
Public Integrity - Legal Education Reform
and Civic Education - Legal Profession
Reform
Anti-Corruption and Public Integrity
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
Background
The ABA Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) initiated its program in Serbia in 1997 with the placement of its first Rule of Law Liaison in Belgrade.
ABA ROLI has been instrumental in helping Serbia’s legal professionals reestablish the rule of law in Serbia. It works to support the legal profession reform through continuing legal education, bar development, young legal professionals’ development and anti-corruption efforts. ABA ROLI’s partners include: Judges’ Association of Serbia, Prosecutors’ Association of Serbia, Magistrates’ Association of Serbia, Young Lawyers of Serbia and Belgrade Center for Human Rights.
