The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mission) supports the Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) conferences of chief prosecutors and of court presidents, organized in Teslić on 28 and 29 May.
During these conferences, representatives of the BiH judiciary will discuss the ongoing fight against corruption and organized crime, increasing judicial efficiency and transparency, and other challenges related to rule of law and good governance.
The Mission's comprehensive trial and justice sector monitoring programmes highlight that all jurisdictions in BiH struggle to deal properly and efficiently with complex cases - cases that ultimately affect the stability, security and progress of BiH. Most of them deal with corruption, organized crime or war crimes. In addition, similar shortfalls have been observed with judicial responses to domestic violence or hate crimes and hate speech.
"The overall response to organized crime and corruption remains inadequate, reinforcing already low public trust in the judiciary and allowing for de facto impunity for such offences," said Ambassador Brian Aggeler, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH. "Decisive, visible actions taken today can and will succeed in rebuilding public trust in justice and the rule of law. This, in turn, will help invigorate public trust in democratic institutions, foster increased civic engagement, drive economic growth, enhance national security, and promote social cohesion and prosperity."
President of the HJPC, Halil Lagumdžija, said: "As a long-time judge in the field of criminal law, and also as a citizen of this country, I believe that the topic of corruption and organized crime is particularly important and requires special attention and engagement. It is important to point out that the Council continuously insists on respecting certain principles that ensure more efficient processing of these cases through a series of activities. These principles include the organization of criminal departments, the role of the judge for the preliminary hearing, procedural discipline, and the use of the institution of the pre-trial hearing."
The Mission will continue to support judicial actors across BiH in their efforts to uphold the rule of law while protecting the human rights and dignity and fundamental freedoms of all living in BiH.
