“The Ministry of Justice, judicial institutions and the entire State wish for the magistrates’ courts in Serbia to gain an equal status with the courts of general competence. This will be achieved through bigger investments into human and financial resources”, stated the Minister of Justice Nikola Selakovic today after the ceremony of opening of the new building of the Magistrates’ court in Sabac.
Minister Selakovic restated that, in addition to the newly opened court in Sabac, courts in Zrenjanin, Zajecar, Arandjelovac, Kikinda, Valjevo and soon-to-be opened court in Pirot, had also been renovated with the help of the partners in USAID. He added that the employees of those courts now had all the conditions to work effectively.
Moreover, he explained that an agreement on the construction of a building of the Magistrates’ Court in Raska would be signed in the following few weeks. He also stated that the provision of a building for the Magistrates’ court in Uzice and Pancevo was in the plans.
Speaking of the plans for the following year, Selakovic emphasised that the priority of the Ministry of Justice was to provide a building for the needs of the Magistrates’ Court in Belgrade which was to have around 100 court rooms and several hundred employees, and which was to be relocated from 14 different locations to a single place. He added that the new building would contribute towards a greater efficiency of the court, large reduction of costs and a better quality of employees and their work conditions.
“The greatest benefit of the partnership project with USAID is the transfer of skills, knowledge and experiences the Ministry of Justice and the judicial institutions will also be applying in subsequent projects “, stated Selakovic.
Minister Selakovic concluded by thanking the US Ambassador to Serbia H.E. Michael Kirby for the good and fruitful cooperation and help they had provided to the Republic of Serbia in the refurbishment of the judicial institutions.