Promoting Debate on Constitutional Reforms in the Area of Security

National Strategy for the Reform of Judiciary 2013-2018 and the Action Plan for Chapter 23 (Judiciary and fundamental rights) both recognize the need to revise the Constitution of Serbia in the part that regulates judiciary. The goal of the revision is to eliminate or at least weaken the influence that legislative and executive power exert in the process of appointing and dismissing the judges, court presidents, public prosecutors, deputies of public prosecutors, as well as elected members of the High Judicial Council and State Prosecutorial Council.

Independent judiciary is not only a necessary precondition for the division of powers and the rule of law, but also for safeguarding boundaries of security sector’s powers vis-à-vis citizens. Prosecutors, courts and lawyers are core elements of the judicial system that play a great role in guaranteeing human security and disabling illegitimate interventions by public authorities.

The announced constitutional reforms offer an opportunity to discuss improvement of constitutional provisions that, directly or indirectly, affect the state of human security. Aside fromthe constitutional status of judiciary and the catalogue of fundamental rights and freedoms, research team of the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP) will dedicate considerable attention to the constitutional framework of the national security system and the principle of democratic civilian control, to which it is subjected.

Project activities include consultations with representatives of civil society, experts and relevant state institutions with the goal of drafting proposals for constitutional amendments, and advocating their adoption by the National Assembly. In order to generate public attention, BCSP will promote project deliverables at a series of public events and through social and traditional media.