Tim za socijalno uključivanje i smanjenje siromaštva

The Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction Unit of the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Šok Art production group successfully organized four debates in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Novi Pazar and Niš, on the subject of children in the judicial system. The debates were implemented as part of the series “Sofa – Access to Justice”, with the target group of these debates being students from public universities in Serbia. The goal of the debates was for the students to develop a deeper understanding of how judicial reform can help children in a vulnerable situation achieve their rights. Through the debates, the students’ understanding of the importance of access to justice for vulnerable groups, as well as the ways the judicial system can protect them, was increased.

The Belgrade debate was organized at the Faculty of Political Science, in cooperation with the Department of Social Policy and Social Services, with the subject of the debate being the protection of children during divorce proceedings, with a special focus on discussing the best interests of the child. The subject of the Novi Sad debate was juvenile delinquency. Discussions in Novi Pazar were on the subject of children – victims of trafficking, cases of trafficking and the protection procedures, while the debate was organized in cooperation with the Academic Initiative “Forum 10”. The debate in Niš was dedicated to family violence, and cooperation was organized with the University of Niš.

The series of debates, implemented with the assistance of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway in Belgrade, shows in a critical, but constructive way, through a number of interviews with prominent experts working in the field, how the judicial system functions in relation to underage persons in Serbia. By exploring situations and procedures they can encounter in the judicial system – from children in divorce proceedings, through juveniles issued prison or corrective centre sentences, to children victims of family violence – the series contributes to strengthening the rule of law in Serbia.