EDUCATIONAL MEASURES UNDER THE DRAFT LAW ON JUVENILE OFFENDERS AND THE PROTECTION OF JUVENILE PERSONS IN CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS

Abstract

This paper examines the proposed system of educational measures in Serbian juvenile criminal law. Starting from contemporary international standards, primarily the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Beijing Rules, and relevant Council of Europe documents, the paper analyzes the theoretical foundations and purpose of criminal sanctions imposed on juveniles. Particular attention is devoted to the classification of educational measures into warning and guidance measures, measures of intensified supervision, and institutional measures, as well as to the criteria for their selection. The paper discusses the content of individual measures, their function within the system of juvenile justice, and the extent to which the proposed solutions are aligned with comparative European models. A separate part of the paper is dedicated to the enforcement of educational measures, with special emphasis on the role of guardianship authorities, courts, and institutions responsible for their implementation. The author concludes that the proposed model largely preserves the continuity of the existing system, while at the same time confirming the legislator’s commitment to an educational approach, individualization of sanctions, protection of juveniles’ rights, and limitation of institutional measures to cases in which they are strictly necessary.