28
Thu, Mar
51 New Articles

Fines for Violations of the Law of Protection of People from Infectious Diseases

Fines for Violations of the Law of Protection of People from Infectious Diseases

Serbia
Tools
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

After the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia rendered the decision to revoke the state of emergency on 6 May 2020, both administrative authorities and businesses have gradually started to return to their regular activities.

However, even though the epidemic of COVID19 is abating, increased precautionary measures are still present both in the people’s everyday behavior and in rules rendered by the competent authorities.

In light of the recent events, the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia has passed the Law on Amendments and Modifications of the Law on Protection of People from Infectious Diseases. The most important change in the law concerns the increased minimum fines for both natural and legal persons for misdemeanors prescribed in this law. The lawmaker’s rationale behind the increased fines is the misdemeanor courts’ practice to impose minimal fines on the offenders, which is believed not to be sufficiently contributing to abiding the precautionary measures during the epidemic.

For these reasons, the minimum fine for both legal and natural persons has been increased from RSD 30,000 to RSD 50,000, whereas the maximum fines remain RSD 500,000 and RSD 150,000 for legal and natural persons respectively. Therefore, a legal entity can be fined in the said amount if it, exampli causa, fails to conduct or enable disinfection in accordance with the law or organizes business trips to the country in which there are diseases that represent a threat to international health. In addition to the legal entity itself, fine for the same misdemeanor is also imposed on the responsible person within the legal entity, whereas the fine range for the responsible person is between RSD 50,000 and RSD 150,000

Additionally to the acts that were already qualified as a misdemeanor, some of which are listed above, the amendments introduced one new violation – failure to act in accordance with the regulations, decisions, and orders that contain measures for the protection of people from infectious diseases, and that is rendered by the competent authorities in accordance with the Law on Protection of People from Infectious Diseases. This blanket provision leaves the possibility to specify the particulars of the violation in the act rendered by the executive authority, therefore allowing a more efficient response to the threat for people’s health.

By Jelena Milinovic, Partner, and Ivana Petkovic, Senior Associate, JPM Jankovic Popovic Mitic

JPM Partners at a Glance

We are a full service commercial law firm in Serbia, with over 30 years of successful practice in SEE region and true and lasting partnerships with our clients.

Our diverse teams of lawyers are focused on practice in specific legal areas, handling some of the most high-profile multijurisdictional matters in energy, project development, mining, foreign investments, corporate and commercial. We are highly sought-after for legal advice in creative industries, environmental law and white-collar crime, as well as intellectual property, international arbitration, labor and data protection

As an exclusive member of Lex Mundi – the world’s premiere network of leading independent law firms, we interconnect and reach globally. Regionally, we advise clients in Montenegro directly, through well established partnership with ‘JPM Montenegro Partner Vukmirovic Misic law firm’ and close working relationships with selected first-rate firms in the region. Working together with our domestic and international clients on their most significant transactions and around entry to Serbian market, allows us to operate as the perfect hub for SEE and other cross-border transactions.

Our clients operate in increasingly competitive landscape and we are identifying new methods of using legal technology, to help them increase efficiency, save time and streamline work processes - document management, billing and accounting. By adopting LUMINANCE AI platform for legal professionals, we use machine-learning for contract analyses across our practice groups, as well as eDiscovery revolutionary software to simplify operations in all forms of litigation.

With exclusive access to EQUISPHERE – Lex Mundi Innovative service model, our clients can design their own legal team by choosing the best lawyers in the relevant jurisdictions, sharing documentation and communicating with all teams at any time, from a single point of contact.

Consistently recognized as a top-tier law firm, both by clients and leading independent legal directories Chambers & Partners, Legal 500 and IFLR1000, we remain committed to delivering highest quality service to our clients and help them succeed in overcoming cross-border challenges. We remain committed to continuously share our knowledge by regularly publishing articles, giving lectures and organizing international conferences.

Firm's website: http://jpm.rs/