Coalition for Access to Justice Demands Respect for Acquired Rights and Freedoms

The limitation of acquired level of human rights and freedoms by new laws is apparent and it becomes unbearable when it comes to the access to justice.
By passing the Civil Procedure Code, the Criminal Procedure Code, and the Criminal Code, the state, especially the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, limits the access to justice for individuals, organizations, independent bodies, associations, and media.
These laws threaten free thought, critical speech, and free action by repression.

Because of this we demand that:
Articles 499 and 500 of the Civil Procedure Code be abolished because the ones who express critical opinions about public matters are ordered to remain silent or to pay high compensation amounts.
Articles 170 Paragraph 4 be abolished and Article 85 of the Civil Procedure Code be modified, because they prevent free representation of citizens, whose rights and freedoms have been violated, before courts by establishing the attorneys’ monopoly.
Article 50 Paragraph 1 Item 3 of the Criminal Procedure Code be abolished because it establishes attorneys’ monopoly in the representation of interests of crime victims and abolishes their right to choose a representative, who is not an attorney.
Article 336a be abolished and Article 336b of the Law on Amendments and Addenda to the Criminal Code be modified by declaring that free critical opinion and expression of opinions cannot be considered a criminal act under any circumstances.
That the Law on Free Legal Aid, which completely respects the interest of citizens for freely chosen and good quality legal aid, be adopted.

The Coalition for Access to Justice:
Center for Advance Legal Studies
Civil Rights Defenders
CHRIS – Network of the Committees for Human Rights in Serbia
Humanitarian Law Center
Youth Initiative for Human Rights
Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina
Sandžak Committee for Human Rights
Praxis