Časopis Pravni zapisi osnovan je 2010. godine kao časopis Pravnog fakulteta Univerziteta Union u Beogradu (PFUUB). Ministarstvo prosvete, nauke i tehnološkog razvoja Republike Srbije dodelio je časopisu kategoriju vodećeg nacionalnog časopisa (M22) u oblasti Pravo i političke nauke. Raznovrsnošću tema, kritičkom analizom, pouzdanom i aktuelnom informacijom iz domaćeg, uporednog i međunarodnog prava, časopis Pravni zapisi nastoji da unapredi kvalitet pravne periodike i pravnog istraživanja, kao i da bude forum za pravne debate. Časopis objavljuje radove nastavnika i saradnika univerziteta, naučnih istraživača, sudija i drugih pripadnika pravosudnih profesija, kao i studenata postdiplomskih studija. Politika objavljivana u časopisu zasniva se na dvostrukoj anonimnoj recenziji, a politika dostupnosti na otvorenom pristupu. Časopis Pravni zapisi izlazi dva puta godišnje, u julu i decembru.
Pravni fakultet Univerziteta Union u Beogradu
THE SURVIVAL OF ACCRUED DELAY PENALTIES AFTER CONTRACT TERMINATION UNDER SERBIAN LAW
This article examines whether creditors lose the right to an accrued con- tractual penalty for delay upon termination of the contract for breach. The Serbian Law on Obligations (LO) contains no provision extinguishing that right upon termination. Penalties survive termination based on the systematic reading of the LO, legal doctrine, judicial practice, comparative materials, and the role of contractual penalties in commercial practice. A contractual penalty is accessory at inception; once due, however, it becomes an independent right. Delay gives rise to legal consequences that termination does not erase retroactively. Just as termination does not affect accrued default interest or damages, it does not affect the accrued amount of a contractual penalty for delay, but only prevents its further increase. The contrary view would force the creditor to choose between terminating the contract to obtain restitution and retaining the right to the penalty.
Sva prava zadržana (c) 2026 Pravni zapisi
CIVIC V. NATIONAL STATE: A FALSE DILEMMA
This paper critically reexamines the dichotomy between the civic state and the national state, arguing that it is both empirically inadequate and normatively misleading. It conceptualizes these approaches as normative models and highlights their internal limitations: the civic model may conceal cultural dominance, while the national model risks hierarchical inclusion. Through a comparative analysis of France, Serbia and Hungary, the paper examines their effects on social cohesion, ethnic distance and perceptions of discrimination. The findings show that neither model, when applied in isolation, ensures inclusive political belonging. The paper concludes that this dichotomy should be reconsidered in favor of a more nuanced approach combining universal rights and recognition of collective identities.
RESISTING THE ALLURE OF FUTURE GENERATIONS’ “RIGHTS”
The language of future generations (FG) has become prominent in climate litigation; they are increasingly being treated as present rightsholders. Using a constitutional perspective, the paper argues that FG cannot function as present right- sholders since the category is legally vague, conceptually unstable, and epistemically indeterminate, preventing identification of rightsholders, specification of the scope of rights, and their operationalization in adjudication. The paper further shows that reliance on FG rights is neither necessary nor effective in tackling climate change, risking the shift of attention away from present duties and responsibility. Constitutional rights frameworks already contain objective norms and state duties that can safeguard future conditions without attributing rights to non-existing individuals. The paper argues we should resist the allure of FG rights and focus on legally coherent tools capable of advancing inter- and intragenerational justice.
JUDICIAL NARRATIVE SOVEREIGNTY: NORMALIZATION OF EMERGENCY THROUGH UNCONSTITUTIONAL CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS IN TIMES OF CRISIS
This paper explores the role of the courts in times of crisis and emergency. It focuses on the tension between the imaginary conceptualizations regarding the status of courts in times of normalcy and emergency that exist in the theoretical discourse and the constitutional anthropology and the empirical ways the courts contribute to the normalization of emergency in socio-legal practice by justifying crisis and emergency as “the new normal”. The paper outlines several key constitutional imaginaries related to the courts in times of normalcy. The imaginaries are structured through analytical reconstruction of the main approaches to the concept of courts provided in modern consti- tutionalism in pursuit of justifying the proper engagement of courts in the constitutional crisis management. This reconstruction is meant to produce both novel approaches to the role of the courts and an original typology of the imaginaries of the courts.
THE ECONOMICS OF THE VALUE OF HUMAN LIFE: CONTRIBUTION TO THE EUTHANASIA DEBATE
The paper examines the economics of the value of human life, seeking a suitable input that would make a relevant contribution to the euthanasia debate, focusing on the legal status of euthanasia, specified in the paper as “voluntary as- sisted dying”, especially in the key disputes in that debate. The paper looks at three economic models of the value of human life: the model of the value of statistical life, the model of the objective value of human life, and the model of the subjective value of human life. These models were evaluated for their suitability in providing inputs to the euthanasia debate, and only the subjective value model passed the evaluation. The most significant input from the economic model is the proposition that only “voluntary euthanasia” should be legalized as a last resort measure and that the decision-making process should be strictly regulated and specified in detail in legislation. Regulation guidelines are provided, as are guidelines for further research.
PEACE TREATIES IN THE 21st CENTURY: TREATY VALIDITY AT THE CROSSROADS OF THE PRINCIPLE OF PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES AND THE PROHIBITION OF THE USE OF FORCE
Peace treaties remain the central instruments of war termination, yet their legal nature is under-theorized in light of the UN Charter’s prohibition of the use of force and the duty of peaceful settlement. This article traces the historical evolution of peace treaties, analyzes their changing subject matter and third-party involvement, and examines how the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT) regulates their conclusion and validity. Focusing on coercion and jus cogens, it argues that Articles 52, 53 and 75 VCLT, read together with the Charter regime, delegitimize results of aggression while preserving room for stabilising peace settlements. Drawing on Security Council practice and selected post-Cold War agreements, the article shows why states almost never invoke treaty invalidity against peace treaties and proposes criteria for distinguishing lawful stabilization from impermissible consolidation of aggression.
THE ICJ’S ADVISORY OPINION ON CLIMATE CHANGE: A POSITIVE, YET SMALL, STEP FORWARD
The ICJ’s Advisory Opinion on the obligations of States in respect of climate change represents a pivotal moment in international environmental law. Being one of three recent decisions on this matter, the Opinion fits neatly within a growing body of jurisprudence aimed at compelling States to fulfill their internationally owed duties. The Opinion clarifies that States have legal obligations from a panoply of legal instruments to mitigate, adapt and cooperate in regard to the adverse effects of climate change. A breach of these obligations constitutes an internationally wrongful act and triggers State responsibility. Additionally, the Court endorsed the 1.5°C temperature goal as a legally binding target. While the Opinion is laudable in many respects, others could have been improved. These include the reluctance of the Court to give a definite answer on the rights of future generations and the question of continued statehood due to the permanent loss of territory due rising sea levels.
Sva prava zadržana (c) 2025 Pravni zapisi
OPŠTI ZAKON O UNIVERZITETIMA IZ 1954. GODINE: PRVI POSLERATNI ZAKON O VISOKOM ŠKOLSTVU U JUGOSLAVIJI I NJEGOVI DUGOROČNI EFEKTI Drugi deo
Posle raskida sa SSSR, jugoslovenski komunisti su počeli da grade drukčiji model socijalizma, u kojem bi visoko obrazovanje dobilo određenu autonomiju, a oni sačuvali monopol vlasti. Od 1952. do 1954. godine vođena je široka rasprava u koju su, pored državnih funkcionera, bili uključeni i univerzitetski profesori i profesionalna udruženja. U njoj su pretresana pitanja nove organizacije univerziteta i fakulteta, uticaja države u upravljanju tim ustanovama, izbora nastavnika i dr. Godine 1954. Savezna narodna skupština donela je Opšti zakon o univerzitetima, koji je odmah postao primenjiv. Tim zakonom su univerziteti i fakulteti dobili status pravnih lica i pravo da donose statute. Njima su upravljali savet (u kojem su profesori i država /sa studentima/ imali po 50% glasova), rektor/dekan i univerzitetska/fakultetska uprava. U državama sukcesorima ex-Jugoslavije i danas se oseća uticaj ovog zakona, a u Srbiji, Hrvatskoj i Severnoj Makedoniji i dalje fakulteti imaju status pravnog lica.
PROTECTION OF CONTRACTING PARTY EQUALITY IN MARRIAGE CONTRACTS
The protection of the equality of contracting parties in marriage contracts is a key prerequisite for achieving fairness in such legal relationships. The paper analyzes potential solutions and suggests ways to integrate them into the Serbian legal system, in the absence of adequate mechanisms to protect the equality of the contracting parties. This study focuses on concrete legal mechanisms, providing brief relational contract theory insights about their dynamic nature. The paper presents a thorough analysis of protective measures for both the formation and execution of contracts by drawing essential lessons from German civil law, which has developed sophisticated judicial review systems. The study also assesses how gender equality principles work to resolve the previous legal inequalities that existed in these agreements. The paper outlines specific mechanisms that should be implemented in the Serbian legal system, applying doctrinal and comparative legal methods.
THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT OF CROATIA AND THE CONCEPT OF INHERENT POWERS
The article examines the Croatian Constitutional Court’s interpretive approach to the existence of its own “inherent” powers and their relationship to the powers enumerated in the Constitution. In this context, we analyze the relevant case law of the Constitutional Court through several key questions: does the Court exercise its “inherent” powers through the concept of a descriptive or autonomous norm, does this result in significant changes in the Court’s procedures, does the Court apply measures defined by the Constitution, and does this significantly disrupt the constitutional balance of competences and powers. The findings show that the Court applies the concept of the autonomous norm, thereby significantly altering both its procedures and the measures it is authorized to impose. We conclude that such an approach by the Court significantly undermines the principle of the balance of powers as envisaged in the Constitution.
STRATEGIES FOR THE PREVENTION AND ERADICATION OF FEMICIDE: LEGAL, INSTITUTIONAL AND SOCIETAL DIMENSIONS, CHALLENGES AND PERSPECTIVES
Femicide is commonly conceptualized and defined as the gender-based or gender-motivated killing of women. It is a global issue, prompting national states to implement legislative, policy and practical measures and actions to address it. The aim of the paper is to analyse current actions for preventing and suppressing femicide and explore some examples of good practice of state responses to this form of crime. The purpose is to underscore the necessity of recognizing femicide as a persistent issue, identify its characteristics and causes, and explore challenges and possible directions for developing effective preventive responses. Particular emphasize is put on femicide in the context of domestic and partner violence, as the most prevalent type of femicide, which occurs within the broader context of structural discrimination and violence against women.
IS ACADEMIC FREEDOM IN BELGIUM AND THE NETHERLANDS UNDER DURESS?
Academic freedom is considered a cornerstone of democratic higher education, yet its institutional foundations are becoming increasingly fragile. This article examines how financial austerity and ideological contestation interact to reshape academic freedom. It argues that formal constitutional and supranational safeguards coexist with subtle but cumulative mechanisms of erosion, including performance-based funding, managerial governance, politicized scrutiny of specific disciplines, and transnational ideological interference. While Belgium and the Netherlands still perform comparatively well in Europe, the convergence of budgetary constraints and ideological polarization generates chilling effects, self-censorship and strategic compliance. The article concludes that academic freedom cannot be assumed to be secure by default. It calls for renewed safeguards, combined with institutional cultures and international alliances that strengthen the structural resilience of academic freedom.
BEYOND GUILTY PLEAS: THE PROCEDURALIZATION OF NEGOTIATED JUSTICE IN INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL TRIBUNALS
Negotiated justice was first codified within the UN Ad Hoc Tribunals, where a consistent body of case law was developed. In contrast, plea-bargaining and guilty pleas were substantially denied in the earlier Nuremberg and Tokyo trials. The paper examines the theoretical and practical development of plea bargaining, tracing the proceduralization of negotiated justice in international criminal tribunals, which has ultimately resulted in the ICC’s abbreviated proceedings on an admission of guilt – a hybrid model incorporating features from civil law and common law systems, representing a compromise of Anglo-Saxon and European legal traditions. The paper also shows that at the ICC, the use of plea bargaining has reached an impasse, primarily due to two factors: its extremely limited application – reflected in only a single case to date – and unclear norms regarding the accused’s rights as well as the length of the proceedings.
The paper examines the method of ideal-typical concepts, which the author previously applied in his book Osnovi pravnog rasuđivanja (The fundamentals of legal reasoning). Since the book contains only a few remarks on the topic, the article aims to offer a systematic account of the method employed and its implications. In the book, the ideal type is constructed as homo iuridicus, the subject whose reasoning is guided exclusively by authoritative legal reasons. This subject is a rational, rather than an empirically existing agent. The paper argues that the ideal type provides a framework for conceptualizing legal reasoning without resort- ing to the idiosyncrasies of individual judges or particular legal communities. When the reasoning of such a homo iuridicus is compared to actual judicial practice, it becomes evident that judges do not always decide or justify their rulings solely by referencing authoritative legal reasons. In this way, the usefulness of Weber’s notion of ideal-typical concepts for jurisprudence is brought to light.
THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON HUMAN HEALTH: DOES LEGISLATION IN SERBIA ADEQUATELY RESPOND TO THE CHALLENGES?
The effects of climate change are numerous: from extreme weather events with enormous amount of precipitation, to extreme droughts in parts of the planet where this was previously uncommon. They can significantly affect the physical and mental health of the human population. This paper will focus firstly on recognizing the increasingly intense consequences of climate change in Serbia and their impact on human health. After that, it will answer the question whether the threat of climate change to human health is recognized in the strategies and legal regulations in Serbia, and if so, whether legislation in Serbia adequately responds to those challenges. The research results show that the connection between the climate change and human health is not recognized in all relevant legislation. Recommendations for appropriate legislative changes are provided.
MISSING MENSTRUATORS: HOW ACTIVIST WORK HIGHLIGHTS A KNOWLEDGE GAP
With the global and cultural shifts challenging the silence and taboo, menstruation is becoming increasingly present in the media. By looking the work of artists and activists, this paper highlights the development of knowledge about menstruation. In promoting menstruation and period poverty, activists and NGOs have contributed to changes in schools and universities in Serbia and the Western Balkans. Some of these institutions now provide free menstrual products. The paper explores the role of digital activists and civil society as drivers of change, focusing on producing and sharing knowledge about menstruating bodies. They fill gaps created by the neglect or lack of interest of public health institutions. This draws on legal reforms, civil society contributions, critical menstrual studies, digital ethnography, and content analysis.
PHILOSOPHY OF MENSTRUATION: THE BODY THAT IS NOT BODILESS
The question this text raises is how do we think about the bodies that bleed, “we” being in particular those whose bodies bleed regularly? The question is philosophical in kind, as it tests our capacities to think about such bodies. Philosophy as a corpus has had little to say about menstruating bodies, which curiously also applies to feminist philosophy. Since these bodies do exist and we need to think of them in some way – not only for the sake of thinking, but also in order to apply legal measures in an equitable way – the text proposes the following: to see how bodies were framed in philosophical thought, departing from the notion of a bodiless body as the central paradigm in conceptualizing the philosophical subject, to make room for greater pluralism, and a fortiori, equality in thinking about human embodiment. The key claim is that it is bleeding that stands firmly in the way of conceptualizing bodies as bodiless.
MENSTRUATION AT WORK SHOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM – PERIOD!
Even though menstruation is a normal part of female biology, it still represents a taboo, a source of stigma, prejudice and practices that create further rifts in already heavily divided society. Not only is such a situation unjust and offensive, but it also creates problems in the work environment. The mere fact that a woman is menstruating puts her at risk of being perceived as incompetent, creates potential hygienic and logistical issues, and, in certain cases, fairly aggravates the possibility of female employees performing at work. Such a situation calls for policies that can accommodate the needs of menstruating employees, as well as for their protection from any unwanted behavior that could weaponize an individual’s innate biological feature. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the position of menstruating employees at work, as well as possible policies that can be introduced by the employer in order to facilitate their position.
TOWARD A EUROPEAN TORT LAW OF DATA PROTECTION: THE CASE LAW OF THE COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION AND ITS IMPACT ON NATIONAL TORT LAWS
The paper examines the provisions governing non-material damage resulting from violations of the right to personal data protection under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), as well as their interpretation in the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). Particular attention is devoted to judgments in which the Court develops autonomous, yet insufficiently precise, legal concepts, thereby creating legal uncertainty and complicating the application of relevant provisions at the national level. Although the CJEU has entrusted national courts with the assessment of damages, the paper emphasizes that in practice it is impossible to fully separate the conditions for awarding damages from the process of determining the amount of compensation.
RECOGNITION AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE BLOCKCHAIN ARBITRAL AWARDS UNDER THE NEW YORK CONVENTION
Blockchain technology is reshaping a wide range of sectors, from finance and law to art. The rise of blockchain platforms offering “blockchain arbitration” suggests a shift toward faster, cheaper and decentralized dispute resolution. A key advantage often highlighted is the potential for automatic enforcement of decisions using smart contracts. However, since this is only a possibility, many decisions will be enforced through traditional means. Given the inherently global nature of blockchain arbitration disputes, an important consideration is whether their decisions can be recognized and enforced under the New York Convention. This paper explores whether blockchain arbitration decisions qualify as awards enforceable under the New York Convention and whether their decision-making process meets the Convention’s enforcement criteria. The author recognizes that the procedural aspect of public policy may be undermined by the way decisions are rendered in blockchain arbitrations.
THE BIOPOLITICS OF MENSTRUATION IN HUNGARY: THEN AND NOW
This article focuses on postwar Hungary, including the transition from state socialism to peripheral capitalism. This era is especially important as during the decades of cold war one of the main claims was that social and welfare rights – including the right to healthcare – were exemplary in state socialism and much more advanced than in the capitalisms of the West. This article argues, however, that even though social welfare rights were advanced in certain jurisdictions and fields, they did not eradicate patriarchal views. Neglecting women during their pe- riod also shows that protecting motherhood did not automatically increase women’s rights. While women’s welfare rights have been underdeveloped, there have been some significant achievements in the fields of maternal care and childcare.
REFORMS WITHOUT REFORMING: TRENDS IN LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNANCE AND DECENTRALIZATION IN CROATIA
The paper presents, analyzes, and discusses changes in the Croatian local self-government system and assesses their drivers, whether these changes can be con- sidered real reforms, and why certain changes occur and others do not. The paper covers a 30-year time span of local self-government development – from the early 1990s, when Croatia introduced a modern local self-government, through the 2000s when Croatia transitioned to the system based on political decentralization, to recent reform activities. The paper shows that there have been several “real” reforms that have raised and addressed very important issues, while other “reforms” can mostly be described as partial changes that occur when there is significant political will for them or under strong external pressure. Political actors and their role of veto players, together with path dependency, remain crucial explanatory factors of local self-government development in the past three decades in Croatia.
OPŠTI ZAKON O UNIVERZITETIMA IZ 1954. GODINE: PRVI POSLERATNI ZAKON O VISOKOM ŠKOLSTVU U JUGOSLAVIJI I NJEGOVI DUGOROČNI EFEKTI
THE RULE OF LAW, THE SEPARATION OF POWERS, AND BIG TECH
The growing influence of Big Tech, backed by technological advancement and platformization, poses significant challenges to traditional concepts of the rule of law and the separation of powers. By privately accumulating functions typically reserved for the state, Big Tech now assumes functions traditionally assigned to the state. In light of this, this paper explores the limitations imposed on the rule of law and the separation of powers. It first revisits the classical understanding of these constitutional principles and then assesses the contemporary challenges posed by Big Tech. The analysis then shifts to the rising private (technological) power of Big Tech as a fourth pillar in the separation of powers. Finally, the paper argues for cooperation and coordinated governance between the state and Big Tech, ultimately concluding with final insights on the adaptiveness of the traditional concepts of the rule of law and the separation of powers.
LEGAL CONSEQUENCES OF SPECIAL TAX REGIMES FOR INDIVIDUAL ENTREPRENEURS IN POST-TRANSITION ECONOMIES
This paper provides a comparative legal analysis of the practice of four post-transition economies (Czechia, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Serbia) with special tax regimes for individual entrepreneurs from 1990s till now. We analyze the eligibility criteria and main elements of each special tax regime – whether based on lumpsum tax, on taxation of imputed income, or on taxation of actual income – on a country-by-country basis, for both existing and abolished regimes. The legal implications are also explored. In the conclusion, the paper compares and contrasts their features to identify the advantages (such as consistency of tax system, decrease in compliance burden, automatic adjustment for inflation) and deficiencies (taxpayer uncertainty, susceptibility to abuse of law and tax avoidance).
Sva prava zadržana (c) 2024 Pravni zapisi
It is widely recognized that the application of legal norms can lead to normative conflicts. Alongside the notion of normative conflict, the concept of legal di- lemma has gained prominence, although its use in legal discourse raises several questions. First, the concept of legal dilemma is a reproduction, mutatis mutandis, of the concept of dilemma developed in moral philosophy. Second, some legal scholars focus exclusively on constitutional dilemmas (i.e., legal dilemmas involving constitutional norms), seemingly assuming that this is a phenomenon limited to the application of constitutional norms. This paper examines how the concept of dilemma is defined in moral philosophy and discusses whether and to what extent the proposals developed in that field can be imported into the legal world. The aim of this paper is to clarify what is usually meant by legal and constitutional dilemmas, and to identify the advantages and inconveniences of using these concepts in legal discourse.
MEDIATION IN SHAREHOLDER DIVORCE DISPUTES IN CLOSELY HELD COMPANIES IN SERBIA
The author analyzes disputes regarding shares in closely held companies, when couples are going through divorce. The Serbian legal framework does not provide regulations specifically for the addressed matter and the court practice is inadequate. This type of dispute is accompanied by risks to the existence of companies and the families, if not resolved in a timely manner. Mediation is generally applicable, whereby each particular case requires the assessment of mediation applicability criteria, such as gender and other sources of imbalance between the spouses. Mediation shows advantages in terms of time, confidentiality, the possibility of simultaneous resolution of multiple disputes, high voluntary fulfilment rate, and the possible improvement of relations between the parties. The inclusion of mediation clauses in shareholder agreements and in marital agreements is recommended.
Srpski građanski zakonik (SGZ) iz 1844, sačinjen po ugledu na austrijski Opšti građanski zakonik (ABGB), predstavljao je recepciju austrijskog privatnog prava. Tokom primene SGZ došlo je do prihvatanja različitih kulturnih uticaja i spontane recepcije francuske pravne doktrine u Srbiji. U zajedničkoj jugoslovenskoj državi SGZ je bio kohezioni činilac, zato što je u najvećem delu zemlje u primeni bio ABGB, koji je bio izvornik SGZ. Socijalistička revolucija je abrogirala čitav korpus starog prava. Sudovi su ipak primenjivali odredbe SGZ, ako nisu bile u suprotnosti s tekovinama revolucije. Sudska praksa na osnovu SGZ nije zauzela mnogo mesta ni u pravnoj nauci, ni u univerzitetskoj nastavi. SGZ je u istoriji našeg prava igrao važnu ulogu zato što je, usvojivši romanističku osnovu austrijskog prava, učinio Srbiju zemljom evropskog kontinentalnog prava. Bio je značajan i za stvaranje terminologije srpskog privatnog prava, a neke odredbe SGZ, uprkos proteku vremena, još uvek su aktuelne.
THE GEM HIDDEN BEHIND PREDICTABILITY: DISCUSSING EFFICIENCY IN AND OF INVESTMENT ARBITRATION
The paper discusses the status quo regarding efficiency in investment arbitration and suggests how predictability of the arbitral outcome can improve both efficiency in and of investment arbitration. First, the paper will address the cost and duration of investment arbitration. Second, it will look at the provisions of the 2022 ICSID Arbitration and Mediation Rules, as well as UNCITRAL Working Group III Draft Provisions, aimed at increasing efficiency in investment arbitration. Third, it will present efficiency in and of investment arbitration, on the one hand, and predictability, on the other, as intertwined issues. Fourth, it will use the intra-EU jurisdictional objections ratione personae and voluntatis as examples of how the unpredictability of arbitral outcomes reduces the efficiency in and of investment arbitration. Fifth, it will present some of the solutions that could improve efficiency in and of investment arbitration.
JUDICIAL SELF-GOVERNANCE IN SERBIA: CHALLENGES TO AND RESULTS OF A QUANTITATIVE APPROACH
Serbia has been continuously changing its judicial regulation landscape since 2000, in an effort to assert judicial independence and judicial self-governance, under strong EU external conditionality. The authors utilize the Judicial Self-Governance Index developed by Šipulová et al. as the main methodological tool aimed to determine whether the achieved level of judicial self-governance in Serbia is consistent with the demands of external conditionality. The research shows that judges control over 50% of relevant competencies, with a gradual increase in judicial self-governance in Serbia during the 2003–2023 period. This is consistent with the external conditionality demands and with the de iure implementation of the judicial council model. The research also points to some limitations of the applied methodology and highlights the need for a comprehensive examination of de facto judicial self-governance, while giving due regard to all integral parts of the complex rule of law principle.