The Practicum should also serve as the material that will be used for drawing up of the future programmes of the initial training and professional improvement of the trainees of the Judicial Academy.

In the name of the Judicial Academy, those present were welcomed by the Deputy Director of the Academy, Majda Kršikapa, who emphasized that the idea of the Practicum was to create the practical written means, which provides to the judges the instructions for investigations, criminal prosecution and trials of criminal offences of corruption. The representatives of the key institutions, the Supreme Court of Cassation, the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime, the High Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of the Interior participated in its writing.

As she further stated, the Practicum will be the working material for the future training courses at the Judicial Academy, since the Academy, after the adoption of the Law on Organization and Jurisdiction of Government Authorities in Suppression of Organized Crime, Terrorism and Corruption, which has been applied as of 1 March 2018, has organized a great number of seminars and workshops at the seats of the four appellate jurisdictions.
The Academy has timely prepared the training programmes, particularly bearing in mind that new institutes and a new organizational structure of the institutions that have the jurisdiction for the prevention and suppression of corruption were introduced, which also called for the planning and implementation of a comprehensive training of the key stakeholders in the combat against corruption in the Republic of Serbia.

The Law on Organization and Jurisdiction of Government Authorities in Suppression of Organized Crime, Terrorism and Corruption prescribes mandatory attending of the programme of continuous training for the judicial office holders, which is provided by the Judicial Academy. For the members of the police, in terms of this Law, it also prescribes their duty to attend the programme of continuous training, which is provided by the Judicial Academy in cooperation with other institutions.

In the course of 2018, the Judicial Academy, only in the area of criminal law, conducted 123 workshops, seminars and lectures, with 3531 participants and 488 lecturers. Suppression of corruption and organized crime and financial investigations account for 13% of the total number of the training courses provided in the area of criminal law. Seminars were conducted on the topics of „Prevention and combat against corruption: Conducting of financial investigations in the combat against corruption “; then „Training of trainers in the area of financial investigations“ and „Financial and criminal investigations and assessment of evidence“.

Kršikapa particularly emphasized that, in the course of 2018, the training was attended by 610 judges, prosecutors, members of the police and financial forensic specialists, who participate in the striking groups for combat against corruption. An added quality to the training courses was also provided by international experts and practitioners lecturers, who unselfishly shared their great experiences and knowledge in this area with the participants of the training courses.

The Practicum is an initial step in the promotion of efficient methods of combat against corruption and the adoption of good practices through their implementation. It explains the ways in which the most important international standards for combat against corruption can be applied at the national level. In addition, it elaborates the strategies and tools that are used in conducting proactive investigations in cases of financial crime and corruption, and also emphasizes practical effects that can be achieved by applying those standards through a well planned and conducted investigation.

The Law on Organization and Jurisdiction of Government Authorities in Suppression of Organized Crime, Terrorism and Corruption, which came into force in March 2018, introduced new terms of financial forensic specialists, striking groups and liaison officers into the Serbian legislation. Introduction of those institutes and the new organizational structure of the institutions that have the jurisdiction for the prevention and suppression of corruption, which is reflected in the establishing of special departments in courts, public prosecutor’s offices and in the Ministry of the Interior, pointed to the need for better understanding of improved inter-institutional cooperation, as well as for a more comprehensive training of the most important stakeholders in the combat against corruption in the Republic of Serbia.

Practicum for Investigations and Trials of Criminal Offences of Corruption - Biljana Sinanović, Brankica Marić, Vlatko Božović, Dragana Stojadinović, Goran Nikolić, Jelena. T. Jakovljević, dr Jelena Kostić