MEMORANDUM OF COOPERATION BETWEEN THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND THE FRENCH FOUNDATION FOR CONTINENTAL LAW INITIATED

The Minister of Justice and Public Administration Nikola Selaković met with the delegation of the French Foundation for Continental Law and, on that occasion, the signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Ministry and the Foundation was initiated. Also, one of the main subjects of the meeting was efficient introduction of the notary public system in Serbia, and also of the possibility of cooperation in other legal matters between France and Serbia.

The representatives of the Foundation expressed their satisfaction with cooperation with the Ministry and offered their active involvement and assistance in introducing the notary public system in the Serbian judiciary. They noted that the Ministry had made the right choice by postponing the application of the Law on the Notary Public Systemfor the following year, because of the need to create all the necessary prerequisites for efficient implementation of the notary public system.

Minister Selaković thanked the representatives for their visit and pointed out that cooperation between the Ministry and the Foundation was of great importance, because France has a long tradition in the notary public system and that their advice and experience would be of great importance for Serbia. Mr Selaković stressed the necessity of harmonizing a number of judiciary laws for the efficient introduction of the notary public system in the Serbian judiciary, and he also informed  that the working groups of the Ministry were preparing a set of such laws, which would enable good legal grounds for introduction of a notary public system in Serbia. He pointed out the importance for Serbia to examine all the advantages and disadvantages of the notary public systems of countries in the region, because the notary public system is susceptible to corruption if not implemented adequately from the start. Because of this, the Ministry defined a number of steps that would enable the whole process of building and introduction of this system to be transparent and open.

Also, the Minister said that before introducing the notary public system in Serbia, citizens had to have a clear perception of the role of notaries public and their authorisations. It is necessary to motivate the best lawyers to enter into the notary public system, because this will be one of the most responsible and most important legal professions in Serbia that will ensure legal safety of its citizens, said the Minister.