Human rights situation "unsatisfactory" - ombudsman

(Beta, file)

Human rights situation "unsatisfactory" - ombudsman

BELGRADE -- Ombudsman Sasa Jankovic has said that the human rights situation in Serbia, despite certain progress, was unsatisfactory.

Jankovic made the assessment in his 2014 report submitted to members of the Serbian national assembly.

He warned during a session of the Parliament's Committee on the Judiciary, State Administration and Local Self-Government that the judiciary is not back on its feet yet, and that the administration does not posses the qualities of good governance.

The Beta news agency reported that the Serbian ombudsman quoted the World Bank as saying that Serbs used their local courts half as much as Europeans did, warning that judges, prosecutors and lawyers are not very familiar with the new regulations, which have changed quickly, and which have only added to the already complex court procedures.

Jankovic also said that the high taxes had led to local courts becoming less accessible, and that laws changed frequently and often contradicted each other.

The Serbian protector of citizens said the court system was not understaffed, and that Serbia had allocated to local courts 0.66 percent more than most of the EU states.

Jankovic was satisfied that a system of notaries and court enforcers was introduced, but cautioned that the inauguration of the system was flawed in many ways, which could have been avoided.

Speaking of the situation in Serbian prisons and detention units, Jankovic said that no significant progress had been made, and that accommodation and health protection were as problematic as ever, generating most of the complaints in the sector.

The ombudsman said that the state administration was not re-organized...

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