This report was funded by the Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Justice Sector Support in Serbia (MDTF-JSS), which has been established with generous contributions from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the Netherlands, and the UK. The full report, including raw data, and more information about the MDTF-JSS is available at www.mdtfjss.org.rs.
The Functional Review Report was prepared by a Core Team composed of Mr. Srdjan Svircev (Senior Public Sector Specialist and Task Team Leader), Mr. Zoran Skopljak (Public Sector Specialist and Co-Task Team Leader), Ms. Ellen Kelly (Justice Reform Expert), Dr. Marina Matic Boskovic (Justice Reform Expert) and Ms. Kate Harrison (Justice Sector Expert). The Bank team was supported by an exceptional group of consultants throughout the process, including Ms. Ana Krnic Kulusic, Ms. Svetlana Djukovic, Dr. Milos Markovic, Mr. Branislav Milunovic, Mr. Mike Perisic, Ms. Ana Arsenijevic, Mr. Jovan Nicic and the survey team at IPSOS Consulting. The team was also supported by Mr. Nenad Milic in the data processing. The production of this report would not have been possible without the excellent support of Ms. Bisera Nurkovic in organizing missions, processing manuscripts and providing valuable insights along the way. Special thanks also go to our translators, Ms. Marija Mitrovic and Mr. Uros Vasiljevic, who worked tirelessly to produce a high-quality Serbian report.
The team also benefited from guidance from World Bank peer reviewers Mr. Paul Prettitore (Senior Public Sector Specialist), Mr. Klaus Decker (Senior Public Sector Specialist), and Ms. Carolina Rendon (Senior Public Sector Specialist). The team worked in close consultation with Mr. Nicola Pontara (Country Manager for Serbia) and under the general guidance of Mr. Roberto Adrian Senderowitsch (Practice Manager).
The team would like to thank the Serbian stakeholders for their engagement in the Functional Review process. Particular appreciation goes to officials from the Ministry of Justice, High Judicial Council, State Prosecutorial Council, Supreme Court of Cassation, Republic Prosecutor’s Office, judges, prosecutors, and judicial staff for their time, hospitality, and willingness to discuss the issues raised in the Functional Review in a frank and open manner. Their intensive engagement throughout the process improved the depth of analysis and quality of the report. The team is also grateful to the international partners active in the reform of the Serbian judiciary for their support, comments, and suggestions.
