(Sarajevo, 8 December 2021) – Improving the judicial information system, introducing strategic planning in courts, providing expert support to courts of the highest instances in systematising case law positions, promoting alternative dispute resolution methods, supporting prosecutor's offices in processing commercial crimes and conducting financial investigations are just some of the results achieved within the three-year project "Building an Effective and Citizen-friendly Judiciary" that was implemented by the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of BiH with the financial support of the European Union.

The results of the project were presented at the final conference on 8 December 2021, in Sarajevo, which was attended by approximately 100 participants, both in person and online.

The focus of the project was on building an independent, quality-based and efficient judiciary in accordance with  European standards. All  project  activities  focused  on  working  with  domestic  judicial  institutions,  line  ministries, chambers of commerce, non-governmental organisations  and other relevant stakeholders with the aim of strengthening the rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Halil Lagumdžija, President of the HJPC BiH said that "The HJPC BiH is committed to strengthening the rule of law in BiH as one of the basic values of a democratic society and a key precondition for Bosnia and Herzegovina's entry into the European Union. Together with our project partners, we facilitated the initiation of organisational changes within judicial institutions, worked on establishing close dialogue with the courts and prosecutor’s offices, as well as with law enforcement agencies, while also working on establishing better communication with the media and citizens and, accordingly, achieved very important results for the continuation of reform processes".

Nicolas Bizel, Head of the Department for Justice, Home Affairs and Public Administration Reform at the Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina, said the project was part of a broader EU support for BiH's judiciary. Furthermore Bizel stated: “This project has delivered some tangible results and we are looking upon the HJPC to build upon this support and further commit to ensuring the full trust of the citizens in the judiciary is restored. The European Commission 2021 Report on BiH underlines that one of the utmost priorities for BiH’s EU integration is progress is the rule of law and the EU will keep supporting the HJPC and the judiciary as a whole.“

Vesna Antonić, President of the Supreme Court of Republika Srpska, Vuk Lučić, Judge of the Appellate Court of the Brčko District of BiH, Goran Dujić, President of the Municipal Court in Travnik and Sabina Sarajlija, Chief Prosecutor of the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office of the Sarajevo Canton also spoke about the importance of such projects and the results that were achieved in their judicial institutions. During the presentation, they emphasised the importance of the support received from the HJPC BiH through the project towards strengthening the capacities of the judicial institutions, which will have a direct impact through better services to citizens and also contribute to restoring confidence in the work of judicial institutions.

The conference was organised in compliance with the epidemiological measures in place in order to prevent the emergence and spread of the COVID-19 virus.

For more information, please contact: Dalila Hadzic, IPA Communication and Visibility Officer  at 033 704 601.