NCJ Number
111876
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 32 Issue: 1 Dated: (April 1988) Pages: 51-54
Date Published
1988
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes and compares the Yugoslavian criminal judicial system, judicial dispositions, judicial qualifications, the juvenile court, police arrest procedures, and probation to similar elements of the criminal justice system in the United States.
Abstract
Yugoslavia follows the 'continental law' system, which blends accusatory and inquisitorial procedures. The country has a federalized judicial system in that procedures are standardized throughout its six republics and two provinces. The courts have four levels: the first degree court or community court, similar to a municipal court; the second degree court, comparable to a superior or district court; the third degree court, similar to a State appellate court; and the final court, the Supreme Court of Yugoslavia, comparable to the U.S. Supreme Court. Although dispositions rendered by the Yugoslavian courts resemble those in the United States, the appeal process is different. Judicial candidates are required to have a law degree, pass an exam, and have at least 18 months practice in the court system. The juvenile court, which resembles an American family or juvenile court, serves youths ages 14 to 18. Finally, arrest procedures allow persons to be held in a police jail for 3 days maximum. No formal probation system exists to supervise those given suspended sentences, which range from 1 to 5 years.