Judicial Studies Series

Judicial Studies Series

March 12, 2014

UNDP Serbia commenced its justice programming in 2001 with the launch of its flagship project, establishing a Judicial Training Centre (JTC). UNDP supported the JTC through two project cycles during which it was established and transformed from a recipient of training through to a full-fledged provider of training and project implementer. It was fully absorbed into the State budget after a phasing-in process. Since 2010 the JTC has been fully institutionalized as the national Judicial Academy.

On this occasion, UNDP is offering to the public the first three of five volumes of the Judicial Study Series. The series represents a compendium of analytic texts and researches aimed at facilitating the implementation of the National Judicial Reform Strategy of the Republic of Serbia. The particular focus of Volume One Embracing Complexity: The Development Assistance Context for Judicial Reform in Serbia is the Aid Effectiveness and assistance to Serbia in various judicial reform processes between 2002-2012 as well as the views and perceptions of the Rule of Law and the Independence of the Judiciary in Serbia.

Volume Two Judicial Reform through the interaction of Citizens and States: An analysis of Public and Professional Opinion regarding Judicial Reform and Access to Justice in Serbia focuses on views of citizens and professionals on the judiciary and past reform processes in Serbia, with a particular emphasis on the access to justice of vulnerable groups. Volume Three Strengthening the Professional Advancement of the Judiciary in Serbia through establishing effective partnerships and enhancing monitoring and evaluation techniques is looking into monitoring and evaluation practices, through the lens of various partners who assisted the judicial reforms and advancement in Serbia, as well as a study on the Effects of Professional Advancement on the Judiciary.

The Series was developed as a result of the long-term partnership between the Judicial Academy of the Republic of Serbia and the United Nations Development Programme. The publication of this Series is very timely, coming at a time when the issue of judicial reform is becoming ever more prominent in Serbia, with Serbia’s path towards European Union accession. The Judicial Academy is proud to be part of the Judicial Studies Series and looks forward to its continued strong relationship with the United Nations Development Programme in the future”, said Nenad Vujic, Director of the Judicial Academy.

UNDP Serbia is offering these studies to the critical judgment of the professional public and is committed to mainstreaming conclusions of these studies into the judicial reform process to bring better justice and better access to justice for all.