The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mission) supported the Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) conferences of chief prosecutors and of court presidents, organized in Sarajevo on 26 and 27 April.
During these conferences, representatives of the BiH judiciary discussed the ongoing fight against corruption and organized crime, increasing judicial efficiency and transparency, and other challenges they face.
All jurisdictions in BiH struggle to deal properly and efficiently with these complex cases - cases that ultimately affect the stability, security and progress of BiH - most notably, but not in any way limited to, cases involving war crimes and corruption.
The Mission's comprehensive trial and justice sector monitoring programmes highlight persistent concerns in the functioning of the criminal justice system. Some of the Mission's most prominent concerns include the slow pace of criminal proceedings; inconsistent judicial practices, especially with respect to evidentiary matters, low conviction rates and lenient sentences, and a failure to support or compensate victims of crime.
"The Mission appreciates that key actors, including the HJPC, have endorsed many of its recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the justice sector but also notes that there has been little progress in implementing said recommendations," said Ambassador Brian Aggeler, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH. "In light of this, the BiH judicial system requires systematic reform targeting the accountability, quality and integrity of judicial institutions and office holders. Such measures include adopting the Justice Sector Reform Strategy as well as relevant legislation, such as the integrity amendments to the current Law on the HJPC and a wholly new Law on the HJPC."
President of the HJPC, Halil Lagumdžija, said that he is convinced that together it can be ensured that country's judiciary is ready, at any moment, to be responsive to all citizens' needs, as a necessary step towards strengthening the rule of law and ensuring evident legal security for every citizen of the country. "The HJPC BiH is committed to providing you with support in your effort to ensure that any obstacles are removed and a system is established which is even more efficient and of even higher quality, ready to combat the most severe forms of corruption and organized crime, as well as all other forms of criminal offences, so that we can contribute in this manner to the rule of law being fully established in Bosnia and Herzegovina."
The OSCE Mission to BiH will continue to support judicial actors across BiH in their efforts to uphold the rule of law while protecting the fundamental human rights and dignity of all living in BiH.
