Representatives of opposition parties in the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (PABiH) met with the delegation of the Venice Commission

Representatives of opposition parties in the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (PA BiH) held a meeting today with the delegation of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, who are on a several-day working visit to our country.

At the meeting, members of the House of Representatives of the PA BiH Safet Kešo, Jasmin Emrić, Darko Babalj, Nenad Grković, and delegates in the House of Peoples of the PA BiH Zlatko Miletić, Šefik Džaferović, Džemal Smajić, Dženan Đonlagić, and Safet Softić, discussed the key provisions of the Draft Law on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HJPC), as well as the Opinion on this Draft, which is being prepared and, as stated, will be presented at the meeting of this body of the Council of Europe in the second half of June this year.

Speaking about situation in domestic judiciary, representatives of parliamentary opposition parties stated that the problem in the judiciary of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the HJPC being, as they emphasized, the umbrella and regulatory institution of the domestic judiciary, is not so much in the existing legislative framework, but in the implementation of these legal provisions and the corruption of the main holders of judicial functions and their close ties to political parties and other interest groups in society. It was emphasized that this has completely paralyzed the judiciary in our country in recent years, causing a high level of distrust among citizens in justice and judicial authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Regarding the Draft Law on the HJPC, which was drafted by the Working Group of the Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina, representatives of opposition parties in the PA BiH stated that the drafting process of this Draft Law was not transparent enough and that they did not have enough time to conduct a detailed analysis of it. What they particularly emphasized during the discussions were certain remarks regarding some provisions incorporated in this Draft, which, among other things, relate to the manner of evaluation and criteria for evaluating holders of judicial functions, provisions on ethnic and gender representation in the HJPC, as well as provisions on the structure of the Council and the manner of election of HJPC members.

They particularly emphasized the importance of strengthening the Office of the Disciplinary Prosecutor and creating conditions for the financial independence of the Council, which, as they emphasized, would significantly strengthen this institution, and enable its depoliticization.

Expressing gratitude to the Venice Commission for their dedication and willingness to help with such important issues for Bosnia and Herzegovina, they stated that the new Law on the HJPC will certainly not solve the problem in our judiciary unless, as they emphasized, the focus is placed on moral principles and the restoration of ethics in the entire judiciary of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Members of the Venice Commission thanked for the expressed views and invited representatives of opposition parliamentary parties to submit their comments and suggestions on the Draft Law on the HJPC in written form, reminding them of the short deadlines and the date of the session of this advisory body of the Council of Europe. (End)