Serbia

Regional online course ‘German Law and Legal Terminology’

The second online course, ‘Introduction to German law and legal terminology’, which is aimed at German-speaking legal practitioners from the Western Balkans and was already launched last year, began at the end of October 2024. The course will conclude with a face-to-face session at the Faculty of Law in Novi Sad, which also initiated the course, in spring 2025.

The online format enables people from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia to participate, even from cities that are logistically difficult to reach. The challenges of the online format are met by using not only classical learning methods such as translation exercises, cloze texts and discussions, but also a wide range of educational and explanatory films on German law. Each course unit concludes with a ‘cultural studies light’ topic that encourages participants to engage with Germany beyond its legal system.

Belgrad: Basic Law celebrates its 75th anniversary

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Basic Law, an event jointly organised by the Institute for Comparative Law and IRZ took place in Belgrade on 22 October 2024.

Following the opening, the Serbian Constitutional Court Judge, Prof Dr Vladimir Petrov, and the Judge at the German Federal Constitutional Court, Prof Dr Udo Steiner, presented various aspects of the Basic Law from a Serbian and German perspective.

The speakers highlighted the exemplary function of the German Constitution and German constitutional law and emphasised the important role of the Federal Constitutional Court.

Another focus of the lectures was the question of protecting the Federal Constitutional Court from political influence by means of regulations with constitutional status.

Many of the participants are lawyers working in the field of constitutional law (including some with excellent German language skills), so the lectures were followed by intensive discussions.