The topic of the meeting was activity 1.1.5.1 of the revised Chapter 23 Action Plan adopted by the Government in July 2020 - establishing a monitoring mechanism through holding quarterly joint meetings between representatives of ethics boards/committees of the High Judicial Council, State Prosecutorial Council, National Assembly and the Government of the Republic of Serbia in order to raise awareness of public officials and politicians for full respect of judicial decisions and work of courts and Public Prosecutor’s Offices and that criticizing decisions puts the judicial independence at risk.

The participants of the meeting stressed that the independence of the judiciary must not be put at risk by criticizing and commenting on court decisions. Holding regular quarterly meetings is important in order to raise awareness and promote respect for the rules of conduct in regards to commenting on court decisions and court proceedings.

The National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia and the Government are firmly committed to, in cooperation with the High Judicial Council and the State Prosecutorial Council, ensure the implementation of benchmark 1.1.5.1 of the Negotiating Chapter 23 Action Plan, i.e. raising awareness that criticizing court decisions poses a risk to the independence of the judiciary.

The participants of the meeting pointed out that EU accession and the implementation of the necessary reforms include not only the institutions, but the society as a whole. Therefore, it is important that these reforms are broadly understood and that all actors, both citizens and policy makers, actively participate in creating a solid legal framework and reliable institutions, which will ensure the timely administration of justice and guarantee the protection of the fundamental rights of Serbian citizens.