The MDTF JSS team provide advice to the Serbian State Prosecutorial Council on Budget for the Operation of the Council and the Public Prosecutor Offices. The team focus assistance in analyzing and addressing the budgetary pressure facing the prosecution system in ways that do not negatively impact the effective operation of criminal justice. Fiscal constraints and changed role of prosecutor are putting additional pressure on the State Prosecutorial Council (SPC) and Prosecutor Offices to do more with less available resources. In addition, the Action Plan for Chapter 23 envisaged transfer of remaining budgetary competences from the Ministry of Justice to the State Prosecutorial Council, which will require additional preparatory activities as well as increased competences and resources of the SPC Administrative Office.
Series of meetings were organized in the State Prosecutorial Council and selected Prosecutor Offices in order to get information on budget planning process and challenges in execution of budget. Analysis is based on data collected and received from the State Prosecutorial Council and Prosecutors’ Offices.
The key findings are related to the explosion in arrears, growing number of backlog cases and unequal distribution of resources and to the problems arising from the shortcomings of traditional budget planning. The Analysis identified recommendations for overcoming of existing challenges and better use of available resources. Some of recommendations are addressing need for identification of potential savings as a part of budget justification, benefits of centralizing financial staff support functions or introduction of auditing of attorneys and experts invoices as a control tool for expenditures.
The Analysis in English is available here and Serbian version is available here.