THE POSITION OF JUVENILES IN THE NEW CRIMINAL LAW OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

Početkom 2006. godine u Republici Srbiji je stupilo na snagu novo maloletničko (materijalno, procesno i izvršno) krivično pravo. Na taj način je okončavajući reformu kaznenog prava Republika Srbija je sledila tendencije savremene kriminalne politike drugih razvijenih evropskih zemalja (Francuska, Nemačka, Hrvatska), pa je na poseban, specifi čan način odredila krivičnopravni status maloletnika. Ta specifi čnost se ogleda u više pravaca : 1) donet je Lex specialis - poseban Zakon o maloletnim učiniocima krivičnih dela i krivičnopravnoj zaštiti maloletnih lica čime su maloletnici u svom krivičnopravnom položaju u potpunosti odvojeni od statusa punoletnih lica kao učinilaca krivičnih dela, 2) odredjena je posebna nadležnost okružnih sudova za postupanje u krivičnim predmetima maloletnih učinilaca krivičnih dela, 3) predvidjena je obavezna specijalizacija lica koja u organima krivičnog pravosudja učestvuju u krivičnom postupku prema malololetnim učiniocima krivičnih dela (uz prethodnu obuku i izdavanje licenci - “sertifi kata) i 4) pored krivičnih sankcija zakon je prema maloletnim učiniocima krivičnih dela predvideo mogućnost izricanja posebnih mera sui generis - vaspitnih naloga (uputstava ili preporuka) – kao sredstava restorativne pravde kojima se izbegava pokretanje ili vođenje krivičnog postupka. Upravo o novom krivičnopravnom položaju maloletnih učinilaca krivičnih dela i novim institutima restorativne pravde sa teorijskog, praktičnog i uporednopravnog aspekta govori i ovaj rad.The new juvenile (substantive, procedural and executive) criminal law came into force at the beginning of 2006 in the Republic of Serbia.. In this way, by concluding its reform of criminal law, the Republic of Serbia followed the trends of modern criminal policies of other developed European countries (France, Germany, and Croatia). Therefore, in that special, specifi c way, it determined the criminal legal status of juveniles. That specifi city is refl ected in various directions : 1) Lex specialis was brought in – a special Act on juvenile perpetrators of criminal acts and the criminal legal protection of juveniles when juveniles in their criminal legal position are completely separate from the status of adults as perpetrators of criminal acts, 2) the special authority of district courts is determined for taking action in criminal cases of juvenile perpetrators of criminal acts, 3) compulsory specialisation is provided for persons in the criminal judiciary taking part in criminal proceedings for juvenile perpetrators of criminal acts ( with previous training and issuing of licences ‘certifi cates’ and 4) besides criminal sanctions, the law has provided for juvenile perpetrators of criminal acts the possibility of sentencing specifi c measures sui generis – educational orders ( directions or recommendations) – as means of restorative justice by which the commencement or carrying out of legal action is avoided. This paper precisely deals with this new criminal legal position of juvenile perpetrators of criminal acts and with the new institutions of restorative justice from theoretical, practical and comparative legal aspects