Justice minister calls on attorneys to go back to courtrooms

BELGRADE - Justice Minister Nikola Selakovic has called on the attorneys wishing to stop striking to go back to work, stressing that those who are hindering them could be held criminally accountable.

Selakovic explained that the Serbian government did not invalidate the ordinance of the Bar Association of Serbia (AKS) concerning attorneys' behavior during the strike, but rather cancelled its implementation.

The government delivered the decision, after the ministry gave a 48-hour timeframe to the AKS to revoke the contentious document.

The ordinance that the AKS released on September 13 forbids attorneys from coming to trials, prosecution offices and police during the strike that began on September 17.

Belgrade's attorneys have been on strike since September 10, and attorneys from entire Serbia joined them on September 17, demanding a 10 percent reduction in the tax base for 2014, and the same powers they had before the introduction of notaries public.

Selakovic told RTS that the ordinance is a general act that deters the attorneys from acting contrary to the AKS recommendations, and added that the Constitutional Court of Serbia, which guarantees the respect of human rights, will give its opinion on the constitutionality and legality of the document.

The minister said that the negotiations on resolving the issues relating to the taxation of attorneys' fees will be continued next week.

The attorneys wishing to work faced the risk of losing the attorney's license, if they act contrary to the AKS recommendations, which jeopardizes human rights and security of Serbian citizens, and this anti-constitutional action is inflicting major damage to Serbia's law practice, the justice minister said....