Regarding the proposed amendments to the Family Law, following the public consultation process, the Autonomous Women’s Center once again appeals on the Working Group to reconsider certain provisions that could have serious consequences for the safety of children and victims of domestic violence.

Regarding the latest version of the Draft Law on Amendments to the Family Law, which was publicly released after reviewing proposed solutions and comments submitted during the public consultation process, the Autonomous Women’s Center has addressed the Working Group, urging it to reconsider certain legal provisions of critical importance for protecting the best interests of the child, ensuring the safety of victims of domestic violence, and aligning the proposed provisions with Serbia’s domestic legal framework and international obligations.

In its comment on the Draft Law on Internal Affairs, the Autonomous Women’s Center recalled that the Government of the Republic of Serbia committed, through measures in the Reform Agenda, to regulate the issue of police independence from the Ministry of the Interior during the pre-investigation and investigation phases, and noted that the Draft does not do so to a sufficient extent. Although the Draft formally prescribes the operational independence of the Police, its further provisions retain broad powers for the Minister regarding the organisation of work, direction, reporting, proposing and dismissal of the Director of Police, as well as regulating certain issues relevant to the operational functioning of the Police.

The Autonomous Women’s Center agrees with most of the provisions proposed in the draft of the new Law on Weapons and Ammunition. However, AWC considers that certain provisions should be regulated more precisely or differently, in order to avoid varying interpretations and to ensure more efficient exchange of information among institutions.