Overloaded by the 1990s’ armed conflicts’ “ballast from the past” the Western Balkans states are still struggling to manage their EU Accession agendas, whose Chapter 23 “list of issues” includes, in addition to the standard judiciary, anticorruption and fundamental rights, also the challenge to address war crimes committed in 1990s. Despite visible differences in terms of the extent to which those countries have been affected by the armed conflicts as well as the gravity of their consequences, the European Commission keeps pushing for a strategic approach to the prosecution of war crimes, including enhancing the protection and support for war crime victims and clarifying the fate of persons went missing and/or disappeared in/or in connection to armed conflicts. However, the quality and comprehensiveness of such an approach varies to the great extent among the Western Balkans states, intensifying in the periods of intensive EU accession reform agenda, followed by periods of passivation after achieving some progress on EU part. This speaks itself to what extent EU accession processes can contribute to the transitional justice processes in Western Balkans.
Preopterećene „balastom iz prošlosti“ oružanih sukoba iz 1990-ih, države zapadnog Balkana i dalje se bore da upravljaju svojim programima pristupanja EU, čija „lista pitanja“ u poglavlju 23 uključuje, pored standardnog pravosuđa, borbe protiv korupcije i osnovnih prava, takođe uključuje i izazove rešavanja predmeta ratnih zločina počinjenih 1990-ih. Uprkos vidljivim razlikama u pogledu stepena do kojeg su te zemlje pogođene oružanim sukobima, kao i težine njihovih posledica, Evropska komisija nastavlja da insistira na strateškom pristupu procesuiranju ratnih zločina, uključujući jačanje zaštite i podrške za žrtve ratnih zločina i rešavanje sudbine (prisilno) nestalih lica u/ili u vezi sa oružanim sukobima. Međutim, kvalitet i sveobuhvatnost ovakvog pristupa u velikoj meri varira među državama Zapadnog Balkana, intenzivirajući se u periodima intenzivne reformske agende pristupanja EU, praćenim periodima pasivizacije nakon postizanja određenog napretka na EU putu. To samo po sebi govori u kojoj meri procesi pristupanja EU mogu doprineti procesima tranzicione pravde na Zapadnom Balkanu.
Protection of EU financial interests: EPPO’s cooperation with non-EU states
Matić Bošković, Marina,
pp: 27-44
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EEPO) is a cornerstone institution in the EU’s efforts to combat financial crimes and protect its financial interests. Its role encompasses a wide range of activities, from investigating and prosecuting financial crimes to fostering cooperation and ensuring accountability. By centralizing and coordinating efforts across member states, the EPPO significantly strengthens the EU’s ability to safeguard its financial resources and uphold the rule of law.
The cooperation between the EPPO and non-EU countries, particularly candidate countries, is essential for ensuring comprehensive protection against financial crimes due to their economic ties with the EU. Sebia, as candidate country for EU membership, has a vested interest in aligning its judicial and law enforcement practices and regulations with the European Union. For the period 2021-2023, Serbia has been allocated 571 million euro under the IPA III funding for national programmes. Proper utilization and protection of these funds are vital, and cooperation with the EPPO can help in achieving this objective. Through mutual legal assistance, information sharing, capacity building, joint investigations, and preventive measures, this international collaboration is safeguarding the EU’s financial stability.
The paper identifies benefits and challenges of cooperation between third countries national authorities and EPPO. The paper recognizes challenges in identification of the legal basis for cooperation with the EPPO for some of the third countries and propose options for overcoming and mitigation measures.
Kancelarija evropskog javnog tužioca (EPPO) predstavlja ključnu instituciju u naporima EU da se bori protiv finansijskog kriminala i zaštiti svoje finansijske interese. Uloga EPPO obuhvata širok spektar aktivnosti, od istrage i krivičnog gonjenja finansijskih krivičnih dela do negovanja saradnje i obezbeđivanja odgovornosti. Centralizacijom i koordinacijom napora među državama članicama, EPPO značajno jača sposobnost EU da zaštiti svoja finansijska sredstva i održava vladavinu prava.
Saradnja između EPPO-a i zemalja koje nisu članice EU, posebno država kandidata, od suštinskog je značaja za obezbeđivanje sveobuhvatne zaštite od finansijskog kriminala zbog njihovih ekonomskih veza sa EU. Srbija, kao zemlja kandidat za članstvo u EU, ima sopstveni interes da uskladi pravosudnu i policijsku praksu i propise sa Evropskom unijom. U periodu 2021-2023, Srbiji je dobila 571 milion evra u okviru IPA III sredstava za nacionalne programe. Pravilno korišćenje i zaštita ovih sredstava su od suštinskog značaja, a saradnja sa EPPO može pomoći u postizanju ovog cilja. Kroz uzajamnu pravnu pomoć, razmenu informacija, izgradnju kapaciteta, zajedničke istrage i preventivne mere, međunarodna saradnja štiti finansijsku stabilnost EU.
U radu se identifikuju prednosti i izazovi saradnje između državnih organa trećih zemalja i EPPO. U radu se utvrđuju izazovi u identifikaciji pravnog osnova za saradnju sa EPPO za neke od trećih zemalja i predlažu opcije i mere za prevazilaženje izazova.
The Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility Across Central Eastern European Countries
Gašparić, Asea,
pp: 45-67
Apstrakt: Ovaj članak ispituje pravne okvire za maloletničko pravosuđe u Hrvatskoj, Srbiji, Sloveniji, Mađarskoj, Slovačkoj, Češkoj Republici i Poljskoj, sa fokusom na minimalnu starost krivične odgovornosti (MACR), kategorizaciju maloletnih prestupnika i primenljive pravne mere. Iako ove zemlje dele fokus na rehabilitaciju i razvojne aspekte, postoje značajne razlike u starosnim pragovima i tretmanu mladih prestupnika. MACR ostaje aktuelno pitanje oblikovano pravnim, razvojnim i društvenim faktorima. Dva glavna trenda se izdvajaju: jedan zagovara snižavanje starosne granice i strože kazne, dok drugi stavlja akcenat na prava dece i rehabilitaciju. Međunarodni standardi, kao što su oni iz Komiteta za prava deteta, promovišu diverzione programe kako bi se izbegla stigmatizacija, ali ne postoji globalni konsenzus o MACR-u. Pritisak za snižavanje MACR-a, primećen u Mađarskoj i Srbiji, suprotstavlja se neurološkim nalazima da potpuna zrelost nastupa tek u trećoj deceniji života. Holistički pristup koji integriše pravne, psihološke i razvojne perspektive neophodan je kako bi se postigla ravnoteža između odgovornosti, rehabilitacije i zaštite dečjih prava u sistemima maloletničkog pravosuđa.
Abstract: This article examines the legal frameworks for juvenile justice across Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Poland, focusing on the minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR), juvenile offender categorization, and applicable legal measures. While these countries share a focus on rehabilitation and developmental considerations, significant differences exist in age thresholds and the treatment of young offenders. The MACR is an ongoing issue, shaped by legal, developmental, and societal factors. Two main trends emerge: one advocates for lowering the age and imposing stricter punishments, while the other emphasizes children's rights and rehabilitation. International standards, such as those from the Committee on the Rights of the Child, promote diversion programs to avoid stigmatization, yet no global consensus exists on the MACR. Pressure to lower the MACR, as seen in Hungary and Serbia, contrasts with neuroscientific findings that full maturity occurs in the third decade of life. A holistic approach integrating legal, psychological, and developmental perspectives is essential to balance accountability, rehabilitation, and the protection of children's rights in juvenile justice systems.
Femicide-certain controversial issues and comparative law review
Kovačević, Milica, Maljković Marija,
pp: 69-88
During the last decades, the phenomenon of femicide has attracted the attention of both the scientific community and the wider public. However, despite the willingness to address the problem of gender-based violence, the number of murdered women is not decreasing. As a result, there is growing discussion on whether or not femicide ought to be treated like a distinct crime. Hence, the paper is devoted to general considerations about femicide and issues related to its narrower and broader definition, with the aim of answering the question of whether it is necessary to criminalize femicide as a specific type of murder. The authors have applied normative, logical and comparative legal methods, in order to point out the existing solutions in some European countries and certain controversial issues. By analysing literature and selected legal documents, they conclude that the criminalization of femicide by criminal or other laws is welcome and useful, despite the fact that the suppression of this phenomenon cannot be achieved by the isolated application of normative measures. On the contrary, the fight against femicide necessitates learning about gender-based violence, dispelling myths and prejudices that enable violence against women, and creating a robust network of support for victims and those close to them.
Tokom poslednjih decenija fenomen femicida privlači pažnju kako naučne javnosti, tako i javnog mnjenja. Međutim, i pored toga što postoji volja da se deluje povodom problema u vezi sa nejednakošću žena, rodno zasnovano nasilje i femicid, kao njegov najekstremniji oblik, ne jenjavaju. Tako se sve češće polemiše o tome da li femicid treba inkriminisati kao posebno krivično delo. Otuda su izlaganja u radu posvećena opštim razmatranjima o femicidu i pitanjima u vezi sa njegovim užim i širim definisanjem, a sa ciljem da se ponudi odgovor na pitanje da li je nužno uvođenje posebne inrkiminacije u nacionalnim zakonodavstvima. Potom su putem upotrebe normativnog i logičkog metoda predstavljena rešenja koja se odnose na femicid u uporednom pravu. Autorke zaključuju da je inkriminisanje femicida krivičnim ili drugim zakonskim tekstovima doborodošlo i korisno, s tim što se suzbijanje ovog fenomena ne može postići izolovanom primenom normativnih mera. Naprotiv, naučna literatura ukazuje da borba protiv femicida iziskuje proučavanje rodno zasnovanog nasilja i iskorenjivanje predrasuda i steroptipa koji pogoduju različitim oblicma rodno zasnovanog nasilja, te ustanovljavanje kompleksnog sistema podrške za žrtve i njima bliska lica.
The Hungarian prison system in the light of AI and smart tools
Orsolya Czenczer, Tamás Hinkel,
pp: 89-101
Artificial intelligence, or AI, is already present in many areas of our lives, such as medicine, engineering, business, banking, etc., but you only need to reach into your pocket and your phone's virtual assistant is powered by AI. Therefore, we cannot afford to ignore AI, to "ignore it", because it is part of our everyday lives, even if it goes unnoticed, and it is likely to become more and more prevalent in our world in the future, both in our professional and private lives. Hungary is one of the first countries in the world to build a smart prison in Csenger, which will use several types of artificial intelligence. The smart prison being built is a curiosity in the history of the Hungarian penitentiary system, and perhaps we do not even realise how much this innovative technology will take the burden off the shoulders of the staff working in penitentiary institutions. However, we believe that there are many challenges, even risks, that AI could bring (especially in learning to manage it well and to accept it).
Sexual corruption in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Prevalence and legal norms
Mile Šikman, Gorica Ivić,
Gorica Ivić
pp: 103-117
Sexual corruption is a socially unacceptable behavior that is extremely widespread in society, while at the same time not recognized as such, nor is it directly treated by the positive legislation. The reason for such an attitude can be found in the "normalization" of these behaviors, and consequently their toleration and non-reporting to the responsible authorities. This is a global phenomenon that has a pronounced impact on women and other vulnerable groups, and as such is also present in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The first question that arises is how widespread this phenomenon is and the ways in which it can be determined. The second question concerns the legal regulation of sexual corruption in the positive legislation, more precisely looking at provisions that already exist in the laws in BiH. In addition, the objective of this analysis is to examine the possibility of integrating the concept of sexual corruption into relevant laws and policies, while establishing a clear distinction compared to other forms of sexual violence. In this way, the awareness of the harmfulness of the mentioned behavior would be raised and the attitude adopted that no one is obliged to suffer sexual corruption and "exercise their rights" or "avoid harmful consequences" in that way.
Seksualna korupcija je društveno neprihvaljivo ponašanje koje je izrazito rasprostranje u društvu, a istovremeno nije prepoznata kao takva, niti je direktno tretirana pozitivinim zakonodavstvom. Razlog za takav stav možemo tražiti u ’’normalizaciji’’ ovih ponašanja, a shodno tome i njihovom tolerisanju i neprijavljivanju nadležnim organima. Ovo je globalni fenomen koji ima izražen uticaj na žene i druge ranjive grupe, a kao takav prisutan je i u Bosni i Hercegovini (BiH). Prvo pitanje koje se postavlja jeste kolika je rasprostanjenost ovog fenomena i načini na koje je to moguće utvrditi. Drugo pitanje tiče se pravnog normiranja seksualne kourpcije u pozitivnom zakonodavstvu, odnosno da se sagledaju odredbe koje već postoje u zakonima u BiH. Pored toga cilj rada jeste da se i ispita mogućnost integracije pojma seksualne korupcije u relevantne zakone i politike, uz utvrđivanje jasne distinckije sa drugim oblicima sekskualnog nasilja. Na taj način podigla bi se svijest o štetnosti navedenog ponašanja i usvojio stav da niko nije dužan da trpi seksualnu korupciju i ‘’ostvaruje svoja prava’’ ili ‘’izbjegava štetne posledice’’ na taj način.
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Conclusions LXIII Regular Annual Conference of the Serbian Association for Criminal Law Theory and Practice
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pp: 119-124
