Work in this thematic area focuses on prisons and police (including human rights in policing, healthcare in prisons and safeguards against torture and ill-treatment), human rights standards in the judiciary (focusing on enhancing the application of case-law of the European Court of Human Rights), the efficiency of justice systems (with a focus on analysing judicial statistics to optimise court administrations) and/or legal co-operation (which concentrate on increasing the individual independence of judges and prosecutors and the accountability of the judicial system).

Back Serbia’s High Prosecutorial Council discusses priorities for the future

Kopaonik, Serbia 21 October 2026
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Serbia’s High Prosecutorial Council discusses priorities for the future

Strengthening prosecutorial independence, addressing institutional challenges and preparing for upcoming legal reforms were at the centre of the Third Professional Conference of the High Prosecutorial Council, held in Kopaonik from 19 to 21 October 2026.

The Conference titled “New composition of the Council and new directions of the judiciary” gathered representatives of the prosecution, judiciary, the Constitutional Court and international organisations to discuss key issues related to integrity of the prosecution, legal remedies related to the decisions of the High Prosecutorial Council, digitalisation of public prosecution and the role of the Council in protecting the position of public prosecutors.

Discussions focused on the impact of the Constitutional Court decisions on the current composition of the Council, gaps in its functioning including the absence of elections of public prosecutors and the elected President of the Council, and the Commissioner for the Autonomy of Public Prosecutors. The discussions also involved a wide range of topics relevant to forthcoming challenges arising from the new Law on Judicial Academy and further Council’s development as a protector of prosecutorial autonomy.

This Conference has become an important platform for the professional exchange of opinions and experiences, and for joint reflection on further steps in strengthening the autonomy, integrity, and responsibility of the public prosecution in Serbia. The event reaffirmed the shared commitment of the High Prosecutorial Council and its partners to strengthening prosecutorial independence, transparency, and efficiency.

The Conference was organised by the Council of Europe through the action “Strengthening legal culture in Serbia and capacities of the judicial and the prosecutorial councils”, as a part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye.

Actions under theme i: ensuring justice
  • Strengthening the quality and efficiency of justice in Albania - Phase III  
  • Supporting enforcement of judicial decisions and facilitating execution of ECtHR judgments in Albania           
  • Enhancing the protection of human rights of prisoners in Albania  
  • Strengthening human rights treatment of detained persons based on European standards and best practices in Bosnia and Herzegovina  
  • Strengthening the quality and efficiency of justice in Kosovo* -  Phase II  
  • Accountability of the judicial system in Montenegro - Phase II  
  • Improved procedural safeguards in judicial proceedings in Montenegro  
  • Further enhancing human rights protection for detained and sentenced persons in Montenegro  
  • Strengthening independence and accountability of the judiciary in Serbia  
  • Strengthening the effective legal remedies to human rights violations in Serbia  
  • Enhancing the human rights protection for detained and sentenced persons in Serbia  
  • Supporting enhanced access to higher quality Free Legal Aid services in North Macedonia  
  • Enhancing the capacities of the penitentiary system and the external oversight mechanism in North Macedonia                                                                                                                                                                                                 
  • Supporting the implementation and reporting on the Action Plan on Human Rights in Turkey  
  • Judicial training institutes for Quality and Sustainability in the Western Balkans 
  • Initiative for legal certainty in the Western Balkans  
  • Enhancing penitentiary capacities in addressing radicalisation in prisons in the Western Balkans  
  • Towards a better evaluation of the results of judicial reform efforts in the Western Balkans  
  • Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) in the Western Balkans 
  • PACE cooperation with the parliamentary assemblies with a view to achieving legislative improvements in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Serbia 

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.