Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, self-styled as the “best law student,” has advised citizens not to hire lawyers, calling them “exploiters of the public.” His remarks have drawn sharp criticism from lawyer associations and legal professionals, who view the statements as unprecedented interference in the judiciary and an attack on an independent legal profession.
The Belgrade Bar Association, the Serbian Bar Association, and the informal group of judges and prosecutors “Odbrana struke” condemned Vučić’s comments, describing them as dangerous misinformation and a threat to citizens’ constitutional right to legal assistance.
Legal experts argue that Vučić’s stance reflects a broader attempt to control all independent institutions. Lawyer Ivan Ninić emphasized that lawyers remain one of the last lines of defense for citizens against the regime’s abuses and politically motivated reprisals. He warned that Vučić sees lawyers as obstacles to expropriation of land for infrastructure projects and a hindrance to the ruling party’s unchecked power.
Nikola Lakić, another lawyer, called the statement shameful, highlighting that Vučić has long been in conflict with the legal profession, dating back to 2014. He added that the president cannot tolerate an independent profession that is not under the control of the state apparatus.
Lawyer Jovica Todorović described Vučić’s approach as Bolshevik in nature, aiming to abolish the separation of powers and reduce the state to a party-controlled apparatus where the head of state prosecutes, defends, and judges simultaneously. He argued that the president’s ultimate goal is to eliminate any institution or individual capable of limiting his absolute power.
This is not Vučić’s first confrontation with lawyers. In July, during a three-day strike by the legal profession, he threatened to amend the Law on Advocacy to create multiple smaller bar associations, claiming that this would prevent “political elites and foreign powers” from influencing lawyers’ work.
“Citizens seek legal help when needed; this is a fundamental necessity, not political propaganda. Vučić’s advice undermines this essential right and reveals his obsession with absolute control,” Todorović said.
