Part I
GENERAL PROVISIONS

Chapter IX
MEASURES FOR SECURING THE PRESENCE OF A DEFENDANT AND UNDISTURBED CONDUCT OF CRIMINAL PROCEEDING

1. General Provisions

Article 165
(1) Measures facilitating the presence of a defendant and undisturbed conduct of criminal proceeding are summons, compulsory appearance, provision of movement and other limitations, bail and detention.
(2) When deciding on which of the mentioned measures to apply, the court having jurisdiction shall observe the conditions determined for application of each measure
and shall take into account not to apply a more severe measure if a lenient measure may achieve the same purpose.
(3) These measures shall also be vacated ex officio when the reasons for their application have ceased to exist, or shall be replaced with other lenient measure when the conditions for that have been met.
(4) The provisions of Articles 166, 167 and 168, paragraph 6 of the present Code shall accordingly be applied to the defendant.

Part I
GENERAL PROVISIONS

Chapter IX
MEASURES FOR SECURING THE PRESENCE OF A DEFENDANT AND UNDISTURBED CONDUCT OF CRIMINAL PROCEEDING

2. Summons
Article 166
(1) The presence of the defendant in criminal proceedings shall be provided by serving him with summons. The summons shall be issued by an authority in charge of the criminal proceedings.
(2) The defendant shall be summoned by means of serving a sealed written summons containing: the indication of the summoning authority, the first name and surname of the defendant, statutory title of the criminal offence he is charged with, the place, date and hour of appearance, information that the addressee is being summoned as a defendant and the warning that in the case of his failure to appear he shall be brought in by force, the official seal and the first name and surname of the judge who is serving the summons.
(3) When summoned for the first time, the defendant shall be informed of his right to retain a defense counsel and of the right to have the defense counsel present during the interrogation.
(4) The defendant is bound immediately to notify the court of changes of his address as well as of his intention to change his place of residence. The defendant shall be instructed thereon at his first interrogation, or at the time the indictment without investigation is served (Article 258) or when the motion to indict or a private charge is served, and shall be warned of the consequences prescribed by the present Code.
(5) If the defendant is unable to appear due to illness or other unavoidable impediment, he shall be interrogated at the place where he is or transportation to the court or other location where the action is being carried out shall be provided.
(6) If a defendant has a defense counsel, the authority conducting the proceedings may, when it estimated that such summoning is justified and not in collision with the fair conduct of the criminal proceedings (Article 1, paragraph 1), after having been summoned for the first time pursuant to paragraph 2 of this Article, summon
the defendant trough the notice to his defense counsel, and the defendant shall be instructed thereof in the first summons.
(7) Defendant may be summoned pursuant to the Article 108, paragraph 2 of the present Code, after being summoned for the first time pursuant to paragraph 2 of the present Article.
3. Compulsory Appearance
Article 167
(1) A warrant for compulsory appearance may be issued by a court if a ruling on detention is issued or if a duly summoned defendant fails to appear and fails to justify his absence or if it was not possible to duly serve the summons and the circumstances clearly indicate that the defendant is evading the receipt of the summons.
(2) A warrant for compulsory appearance shall be executed by the police.
(3) A warrant for compulsory appearance shall be issued in a written form. A warrant shall contain: the first name and surname of the defendant who is to be brought in, the place and year of birth, statutory title of the criminal offence he is charged with along with the indication of the relevant provision of the Criminal Code, the ground for the issuance of the warrant for compulsory appearance, the official seal and the signature of the judge who issued the warrant.
(4) The person to whom the execution of the warrant is conferred shall serve it to the defendant and shall invite the defendant to accompany him. If the defendant refuses to comply he shall be brought in by force.
(5) The warrant for compulsory appearance issued against military personnel, members of the police authorities and penitentiary staff shall be executed by their headquarters, .i.e. institution.

Part II
THE COURSE OF PROCEEDINGS

A. CRIMINAL OFFENSE REPORT, PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION AND NOTIFICATION OF CRIMINAL OFFENCE

Chapter XIX
PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION AND SUBMISSION OF NOTIFICATION ON CRIMINAL OFFENCE

Finding a person in the act of committing a criminal offense (Civil arrest)
Article 266
(1) Everyone may deprive of liberty a person who is in the act of committing a criminal offense subject to ex officio public prosecution.
(2) The person found during the commission of a criminal offense is:
1) Person found in the actual act of committing a criminal offense
2) Person captured by another person who was an eye witness to the commission of a criminal offense, as a perpetrator or an accomplice of the criminal offense
3) Person found immediately after the commission of a criminal offense with a weapon or an object connected with the criminal offense, or another object that directly appoints to participation in the criminal offense committed
4) Person on whom there are obvious traces of participation in the recently committed criminal offense
(3) The person deprived of liberty must be immediately brought before the Investigative Judge or police authority and if this is not possible, one of these authorities must be immediately informed thereof. The police authority shall immediately notify Public Prosecutor and proceed pursuant to Article 262 of the present Code.
(4) When the person deprived of liberty was transferred to the Investigative Judge, or was brought before him by the police authority, Investigative Judge shall immediately notify the Public Prosecutor, if the police authority has not already done so, therefore interrogate person deprived of liberty in the capacity of a suspect in the presence of the Public Prosecutor, pursuant to Article 263 of the present Code.
(5) Public Prosecutor may immediately after the interrogation of a suspect, or after the interrogation of a person from paragraph 6 of the present Article, submit a Request for conducting proceedings before the Investigative Judge pursuant to Article 469 of the present Code.
(6) Investigative judge shall interrogate a person who handed over person deprived of liberty during the commission of the criminal offense in the capacity of a witness pursuant to the Article 109 of the present Code. If the citizen handed over the person found in the act of commission of a criminal offense to the police authority, it shall secure that the citizen who consents to it be brought before the Investigative Judge, without delay and with the respect for his personality and dignity for the purpose of being interrogated as a witness.
Police authority acts upon finding a person at the site of commission of crime
Article 267
(1) The authorized police officials are entitled to send persons found at the site of the commission of a criminal offense to the Public Prosecutor or to hold them there until his arrival, if these persons may reveal information important for the criminal proceedings and if it appears likely that their examination at a later point might be impossible or might entail considerable delay or other difficulties. Such persons shall not be held at the site of the commission of a criminal offense longer than 6 hours.
(2) Persons from paragraph 1 of the present Article can be interrogated by Public Prosecutor pursuant to the Article 258 of the present Code.

Part III
SPECIAL PROCEEDINGS

Chapter XXXVII
PROCEEDINGS FOR ISSUANCE OF ARREST WARRANT AND NOTICE

Pursuit of the defendant and notification of his address
Article 542
If permanent or temporary address of the defendant is unknown, and where required pursuant to the provisions of the present Code, the court or Public Prosecutor shall request the police authority to look for the defendant and inform them on his address.
Issuance of arrest warrant
Article 543
(1) The issuance of arrest warrant may be ordered if the defendant is in flight and there is an order for his bringing or a decision on detention.
(2) Issuance of an arrest warrant is ordered by the court conducting the proceedings following the proposal of the Public Prosecutor or ex officio. In preliminary investigation and during investigation, the investigative judge shall order issuance of an arrest warrant, following the proposal of the Public Prosecutor. If the investigative judge does not agree with the proposal of the Public Prosecutor, the Trial Chamber referred to under Article 24, paragraph 6 hereof shall decide within 48 hours.
(3) The issuance of arrest warrant shall also be ordered if the defendant escapes from the institution where he is serving sentence regardless of the level of penalty, or from the institution where an institutional measure related to deprivation of liberty is enforced against him. In this case, the warden shall issue an arrest warrant.
(4) The order of the court or head of the institution for the issuance of an arrest warrant shall be delivered to the police authorities for execution.
Notice
Article 544
(1) Where information concerning particular objects related to a criminal offense is required or if these objects need to be located, and in particular if this is necessary to determine the identity of a corpse, it shall be ordered that a notice is published requiring that such information be communicated to the authority conducting the proceedings.
(2) The police authority may publish photographs of corpses and missing persons if there is reasonable suspicion that the death or disappearance of such persons was the result of a criminal offense.
Withdrawal of arrest warrant or notice
Article 545
The authority which ordered the issuance of arrest warrant or notice shall withdraw it immediately after the wanted person or object has been found, or after the statute of limitations for initiating prosecution or execution of penalty has expired, or due to other reasons for which the arrest warrant or notice is no longer necessary.
Issuance of arrest warrant or notice
Article 546
(1) An arrest warrant and notice shall be issued by the police authority located within the territory of the state authority before which criminal proceedings are conducted and of institution from which the person serving a sentence or institutional measure has escaped.
(2) Media may be used to inform the public of the arrest warrant and notice.
(3) If it is likely that the person on the wanted list is abroad, the Ministry of Internal Affairs may also issue an international arrest warrant, with the approval of the Ministry of Justice.

(4) Upon a request of a foreign authority, the Ministry of Internal Affairs may issue an arrest warrant for a person who is reasonably suspected to be in the Republic of Serbia, provided that the request states that extradition will be requested if such person is found.

Part One
GENERAL PART

Chapter VIII
MEASURES TO SECURE THE PRESENCE OF THE DEFENDANT AND FOR UNOBSTRUCTED CONDUCT OF CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS

2. Specific Measures

e) Detention

a. Basic Provisions

Basic Rules on Ordering Detention
Article 210

Detention may be ordered only under the conditions specified in this Code and only if the same purpose cannot be achieved by another measure.

It is the duty of all authorities participating in criminal proceedings and authorities providing legal assistance for them to keep the duration of detention as short as possible and to act especially expeditiously if the defendant is in detention.

For the duration of the proceedings, detention will be revoked as soon as the reasons for which it was ordered cease to exist.

Reasons for Ordering Detention
Article 211

Detention may be ordered against a person for whom there exists grounded suspicion that he has committed a criminal offence if :

1) he is in hiding or his identity cannot be established or in the capacity of defendant he is clearly avoiding appearing at the trial or if there exist other circumstances indicating a flight risk ;
2) there exist circumstances indicating that he will destroy, conceal, alter or falsify evidence or traces of a criminal offence or if particular circumstances indicate that he will obstruct the proceedings by exerting influence on witnesses, accomplices or concealers ;
3) particular circumstances indicate that in a short period of time he will repeat the criminal offence, or complete an attempted criminal offence, or commit a criminal offence he is threatening to commit;
4) the criminal offence with which he is charged is punishable by a term of imprisonment of more than ten years or a term of imprisonment of more than five years for a criminal offence with elements of violence, or he has been sentenced by a court of first instance to a term of imprisonment of five years or more, and the way of commission or the gravity of consequences of the criminal offence have disturbed the public to such an extent that this may threaten the unimpeded and fair conduct of criminal proceedings.

In the case referred to in paragraph 1 item 1) of this Article, detention ordered solely because the identity of the person cannot be established lasts only until that identity is established, and detention ordered solely because a defendant obviously avoids appearing at the trial may last until the publication of the judgment. In the case referred to in paragraph 1 item 2) of this Article, detention will be revoked as soon as the evidence because of which detention was ordered is secured.

When it pronounces a judgment ordering a term of imprisonment of less than five years, the court may order detention for a defendant who is at liberty if the reasons referred to in paragraph 1 items 1) and 3) of this Article exist, and it will revoke detention for a defendant who is in detention if the reasons for which it was ordered no longer exist.

Deciding on Detention
Article 212

The court decides on ordering detention on a motion by the public prosecutor, and after the indictment is confirmed, also ex officio.

Before issuing the decision referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, the court will question the defendant in connection with the reasons for ordering detention. The questioning may be attended by the public prosecutor and the defence counsel.

The court is required to inform in a suitable manner the public prosecutor and the defence counsel on the time and place of the defendant’s questioning. The questioning may also be performed in the absence of persons duly notified.

By exception from paragraph 2 of this Article, the decision ordering detention may be issued without questioning the defendant if the circumstances referred to in Article 195 paragraph 1 items 1) and 2) of this Code, or a danger of delays, exist.

If detention was ordered in accordance with paragraph 4 of this Article, the court will within 48 hours of the hour of the arrest question the defendant in accordance with the provisions of paragraphs 2 and 3 of this Article. After the questioning, the court will decided whether to leave the decision ordering detention in force or to repeal detention.

Ruling Ordering Detention
Article 213

Detention is ordered by a ruling of the competent court.

The ruling ordering detention contains : the first name and surname of the person being detained, criminal offence with which he is charged, legal basis for the detention, time for which detention is being ordered, time of the arrest, advice on a right to an appeal, substantiation of the grounds and reasons for ordering detention, official seal and signature of the judge who orders detention.

The ruling ordering detention is served to the defendant at the time of his arrest, or no later than 12 hours after he has been remanded to custody. The file must specify the date and hour of the arrest of the defendant and service of the ruling.

Detention during the Investigation
Article 214

Detention during the investigation may be ordered, extended or repealed by a ruling of the judge for preliminary proceedings or the panel (Article 21 paragraph 4).

The ruling extending or repealing detention is issued ex officio or on a motion of the parties and the defence counsel.

The parties and defence counsel may appeal against the ruling on detention to the panel (Article 21 paragraph 4). The appeal, ruling and other documents are immediately delivered to the panel. An appeal does not stay execution of the ruling.

A decision on the appeal is issued within 48 hours.

Duration of Detention during the Investigation
Article 215

Based on ruling of the judge for preliminary proceedings, a defendant may be kept in detention for a maximum of three months from the date of being deprived of liberty. The judge for preliminary proceedings is required, even without a motion by the parties or defence counsel, to examine at the end of each 30 days whether the reasons for detention still exist and to issue a ruling extending or repealing detention.

A panel of the immediately higher court (Article 21 paragraph 4) may, acting on a reasoned motion of the public prosecutor, for important reasons extend detention by a maximum of another three months.
An appeal is allowed against that ruling, but it does not stay execution of the ruling.

If no indictment is filed by the expiry of the time limits referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article, the defendant will be released.

Detention after an Indictment has been filed
Article 216

From the filing of the indictment to the court until the commitment of the defendant to serve a custodial criminal sanction, detention may be ordered, extended or repealed by a ruling of the panel.

The ruling ordering, extending or repealing detention is issued ex officio or on a motion of the parties and the defence counsel.

The panel is required even without a motion of the parties and the defence counsel to examine whether reasons for detention still exist and to issue a ruling extending or repealing detention, at the expiry of each 30 days until the indictment is confirmed, and at the expiry of each 60 days after the indictment is confirmed and up to the adoption of a first instance judgment.

If after the indictment is confirmed detention is repealed because there are no grounds for suspicion about the existence of a criminal offence, the court will examine the indictment in accordance with Article 337 of this Code.

The parties and the defence counsel may appeal against the ruling referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article, and the public prosecutor may also appeal against a ruling denying a motion for ordering detention. The appeal, ruling and other documents are immediately delivered to the panel. An appeal does not stay the execution of the ruling.

Detention ordered or extended in accordance with the provisions of paragraphs 1 to 5 of this Article may last until the commitment of the defendant to serve a custodial criminal sanction, but no longer than the expiry of the duration of the criminal sanction pronounced in the first-instance judgment.

Part Two
COURSE OF THE PROCEEDINGS

Chapter XV
PRE-INVESTIGATION PROCEEDINGS

2. Authority of the Authorities Conducting Pre-investigation Proceedings

Police Arrest
Article 291

The police may arrest a person if there exist a reason for ordering detention (Article 211), but it is required to take such a person without delay to the competent public prosecutor. When
bringing the person in, the police will submit to the public prosecutor a report on the reasons for and time of the arrest.

The person arrested must be advised of the rights referred to in Article 69 paragraph 1 of this Code.

If the taking of the arrested person [to the prosecutor] due to unavoidable obstacles lasted more than eight hours, the police are required to explain the delay in detail to the public prosecutor, about which the public prosecutor will draft an official note. The public prosecutor will enter in the note the arrested person’s statement about the time and place of the arrest.

Part Two
COURSE OF THE PROCEEDINGS

Chapter XV
PRE-INVESTIGATION PROCEEDINGS

2. Authority of the Authorities Conducting Pre-investigation Proceedings

Keeping a Suspect in Custody
Article 294

The public prosecutor may exceptionally keep in custody for the purpose of questioning a person arrested in accordance with Article 291 paragraph 1 and Article 292 paragraph 1 of this Code, as well as the suspect referred to in Article 289 paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Code, not more than 48 hours from the time of the arrest, or the response to a summons.

The public prosecutor, or upon his authorisation, the police, issues and serves a ruling on custody immediately, or not more than two hours after the suspect was told that he would be kept in custody. The ruling must specify the offence of which the suspect is accused, grounds for suspicion, date and time of deprivation of liberty or response to a summons, as well as time of commencement of the custody.

The suspect and his defence counsel are entitled to appeal against the ruling on custody within six hours of the delivery of the ruling. A decision on the appeal is issued by the judge for the preliminary proceedings within four hours of receiving the appeal. The appeal does not stay the execution of the ruling.

The suspect is entitled to the rights referred to in Article 69 paragraph 1 of this Code.

The suspect must have a defence counsel as soon as the authority conducting proceedings referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article issues a ruling on custody. If the suspect does not retain a defence counsel on his own within four hours, the public prosecutor will secure one for him ex officio, according to the order on the list of lawyers submitted by the competent bar association.