The attempt to adopt the draft law on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the draft law on amendments to the Law on the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina failed yesterday, after the BiH Council of Ministers did not even adopt the agenda of the session. Shameful behavior towards European obligations and irresponsibility towards citizens were demonstrated again in this way, but on the other hand, the only good thing is that the laws were not adopted in the form in which they were proposed, because the procedure was not in accordance with the law.
According to the President of the HJPC of BiH, Sanin Bogunić, the proposed draft version of the Law on the HJPC of BiH was not submitted to the HJPC, as the system regulator, in order to give its opinion on this act, which is authorized by the express provision of Article 17 of the Law on the HJPC of BiH. The opinion of the HJPC was not requested regarding the draft of the Law on the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
– This is particularly surprising, because after the failure of the Law on the HJPC in the House of Peoples, about half a year ago, the Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina formed a working group, which worked for months on changes to the previous version. The Council, the Ministry of Justice and the EU Delegation are included in the working group. The Council made a great contribution to its work, and we do not know the reasons why some new solutions were introduced without the knowledge of the Council at the last moment – said Bogunić for “Avaz”.
He welcomed the reaction of professional associations of judges and prosecutors, noting that experts should primarily be asked about these laws.
– I call on all participants in the process to get serious and show the necessary maturity when adopting both laws, respecting the views of the profession and the independence of the judiciary, as the third pillar of power – emphasizes the president of the HJPC of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sanin Bogunić.
