Divisions of the Supreme court of Serbia

The Supreme Court of Serbia consists of four divisions:

• Civil division,
• Criminal division,
• Administrative division and
• Case Law division.

Field and manner of the divisions’ working

A division works in the session which:

• Examines the reports on the work of the division;
• Determines the legal opinions on disputable issues on the basis of the reports, co-reports, papers and draft legislations and upon reasoned initiative in written form submitted by the president of the division, court panel or a judge;
• Proposes to the General Session commencement of the initiative for regulation of certain issues, as well as initiatives for the amending and modification of legislation in force, in a written proposal with the explanatory note;
• Proposes to the General Session an initiative for the submission of the proposal for review of constitutionality and legality of laws and other general acts, in written form with the explanatory note;
• Determines the ways of improving the work and expertise of judges and court counselors;
• Gives opinion to the president of court for the annual timetable of tasks;
• Examines other issues form the field of work of the division.

The decision-making at the session is very important in cases when there is inconsistency in applying regulations between the panels within the same division or when a panel departs from the legal opinion which it applied until that time or from the opinion accepted by all panels.

It is a rule that the legal opinion accepted on the divisional session binds all panels to act in accordance with it.

Court divisions are managed by a president of division who is appointed by the president of court after obtaining the opinion from judges of the division. His or her duty is to ensure the uniform, accurate and proper work of the division. The court division session is convened by the president of a division on his or her own initiative or at the initiative of panel from that division, as well as by the president of court who may participate in work and decision-making at the session

Joint session of divisions

A joint session of divisions may be convened by divisions in order to examine a certain legal matter. The joint session of divisions is convened jointly by the presidents of divisions or by president of court, and it is chaired by the president of the division, which has the competence over the matter of consideration. Each division appoints a judge reporter. The reports and coreports are prepared on disputed issue. Decisions are adopted by a majority vote of each division. If divisions do not succeed to adopt a legal opinion, the further decision on the same matter is to be adopted by the General Session.