News on ensuring justice
A Constitutional Court that listens, explains and decides
READING TIME: 9 minutes Behind every case before the Constitutional Court is a person waiting for an answer. Until recently, citizens could wait up to six years for a decision; today, the average duration of proceedings is 11 months. Over the past three years, the Court has resolved more than...
Судије/ткиње и тужиоци/тељке у Србији унапредили знање о забрани злостављања
На уводном догађају за покретање туторисаног онлајн курса о забрани злостављања окупило се 25 судија/ткиња и тужилаца/тељки из Србије, како би унапредили знање о делотворној примени стандарда Европског суда за људска права у вези са забраном злостављања. Курс заједнички организују и спроводе...
Strengthening the professional evaluation of state prosecutors in Montenegro
A round table on the professional evaluation of heads of prosecution offices and state prosecutors in Montenegro, held in Podgorica on 26 October, brought together prosecutors from Montenegro, Slovenia, Romania and Serbia, alongside representatives of international organisations, civil society...
Montenegro establishes its first Chamber of Court Experts
Montenegro has established its first Chamber of Court Experts under the new Law on Court Experts, which entered into force on 17 July 2026. At the inaugural Assembly, held in accordance with the secondary legislation prepared with the Council of Europe support, the Chamber’s governing bodies were...
Apelacioni sudovi u Srbiji i Vrhovni sud udružuju napore radi ujednačavanja sudske prakse
U oktobru 2026. godine održane su dve zajedničke sednice apelacionih sudova u Srbiji, sa ciljem da se unapredi ujednačenost sudske prakse. Prva sednica, održana u Nišu 9. oktobra, okupila je predstavnike krivičnih odeljenja apelacionih sudova i Vrhovnog suda. Druga sednica, održana u Kragujevcu...
Visoki savet tužilaštva razmatra prioritete za naredni period
Jačanje samostalnosti javnog tužilaštva, rešavanje institucionalnih izazova i priprema za predstojeće pravosudne reforme bili su u središtu Treće stručne konferencije Visokog saveta tužilaštva održane na Kopaoniku od 19. do 21. oktobra 2026. godine. Konferencija pod nazivom „Novi sastav Saveta i...
Inter-institutional co-operation, a necessity for the rehabilitation and reintegration of Violent Extremist Prisoners
A clear definition and division of institutional roles and well-defined operational procedures among prisons, probation services, and other relevant stakeholders are essential for an effective inter-agency co-operation in the efforts to prevent radicalisation and violent extremism. This can...
North Macedonia’s Prison Police Intervention Teams: Strengthening Accountability and Expanding Knowledge of Applicable Standards
Applying the domestic legal framework and operational procedures in line with the European Prison Rules, and relevant best practices, was the focus of the exchange with the Prison Police Intervention Teams in North Macedonia, held on 24-25 September 2026. Established two years ago, these teams...
PRESS RELEASE
From European standards to everyday impact: Albania marks a decade of European Union – Council of Europe programme co-operation
Over the past decade, the partnership between Albania, the European Union and the Council of Europe has translated ambition into action, delivering lasting change for institutions, professionals and communities. This co-operation under the “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”...
Strengthening Montenegro’s safeguards for people deprived of their liberty
Professionals responsible for monitoring places of detention in Montenegro have strengthened their ability to manage the emotional demands of their work helping them remain focused, objective and responsive when assessing the treatment and conditions of people deprived of their liberty. A...
Sudije i sutkinje u Srbiji razmatrale načine očuvanja sudske nezavisnoti
Kako pravosuđe može da očuva svoju nezavisnost uz istovremeno održavanje konstruktivnih odnosa sa izvršnom i zakonodavnom vlašću? Ovo pitanje bilo je u središtu konferencije koju je u Beogradu organizovalo Društvo sudija Srbije, a na kojoj su učesnici razgovarali o evropskim standardima i...
Montenegro: Amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code strengthen victims’ rights
The amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code of Montenegro entered into force on 17 September 2026, strengthening the legal framework for the protection and participation of victims in criminal proceedings, among other changes. The revised framework introduces a definition of the term “victim”...
Razmena iskustva o zaštiti nezavisnosti pravosuđa
Predstavnici/e pravosudnih institucija Srbije boravili su od 21. do 23. septembra 2026. godine u Parizu i Strazburu, gde su razgovarali o zaštiti sudija/tkinja i javnih tužilaca/teljki od neprimerenog uticaja. U studijskoj poseti učestvovali su članovi/ce Visokog saveta sudstva i Visokog saveta...
From laws to practice: Montenegro strengthens victims’ rights
Judges, prosecutors and other criminal justice practitioners and service providers participated in a two-day training aimed at strengthening the protection of victims and supporting the effective implementation of recent legislative amendments enhancing victims’ rights throughout criminal...
Kosovo* institutions strengthen co-operation on rehabilitation and reintegration of persons vulnerable to radicalisation
Representatives of Kosovo’s probation, correctional and other relevant institutions gathered in Pristina to strengthen their skills and co-operation in support of a more efficient rehabilitation, reintegration and post-release process for violent extremist prisoners and offenders. The Kosovo...
National Co-ordination Body for Free Legal Aid in North Macedonia addresses key developments and future reform of the legal aid system
Main developments in the implementation of the free legal aid framework in North Macedonia and key priorities for further strengthening the system were discussed during the 18th Meeting of the National Coordination Body for Free Legal Aid. The event brought together around 60 representatives of...
Strengthening mediation to make dispute resolution more effective in Bosnia and Herzegovina
How can mediation become more effective in Bosnia and Herzegovina? This was a key focus of discussions at a two-day workshop organised on 17 and 18 September 2026 in Vlašić, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The workshop followed an observation visit conducted on 27 and 28 April in Sarajevo, Banja Luka and...
New compendium brings Albanian Supreme Court case law closer to European standards
A new four-volume collection of selected case law of the Supreme Court of Albania developed with the support of the European Union and the Council of Europe, is now available to Albanian judges, magistrates and legal professionals. It aims to promote a more consistent, accessible and predictable...
Breaking the cycle: Transforming violent extremist prisoners in the Western Balkans
Violent Extremist Prisoners and Offenders (VEP/O-s) are individuals whose crimes were shaped not only by personal circumstance but also by radical and dangerous ideologies. Managing and rehabilitating these prisoners presents an extraordinary challenge for authorities in the Western Balkans. In...
Priprema sudija i sutkinja u Srbiji za novi pristup vrednovanju njihovog rada
Članovi/ce Komisija za vrednovanje rada sudija i predsednika sudova unapredili su svoja znanja i veštine za primenu novih procedura vrednovanja rada sudija u predstojećem periodu. Dve dvodnevne obuke, koje su organizovane u saradnji sa Visokim savetom sudstva, imala su za cilj unapređenje...
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