(Ljubljana, 8/6/2023) – The High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HJPC BiH/Council) was granted observer status with the European Network of Councils for the Judiciary (ENCJ) at the General Assembly that was held on 7-9 June 2023 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The granting of observer status affirms HJPC BiH’s commitment to establishing European standards by reinforcing our institutional capacities as a regulatory body as well as that of the overall judiciary which stands in the service of all citizens.

Throughout the past years, thanks to our cooperation with international partners, the Norwegian Courts Administration and the Council for the Judiciary of the Netherlands, the Council had the opportunity to participate in processes on the assessment of independence, accountability and quality of the judiciary as carried out by the ENCJ. The results achieved by the HJPC BiH thanks to our participation in ENCJ processes are of vital importance for the institution and the judiciary in general. An exceptional opportunity was afforded to the Council even before acquiring observer status, allowing the application of ENCJ tools to assess independence, accountability and quality of the judiciary and its operations. These tools made it possible to determine priorities within reform processes and activities that were carried out by the Council, while at the same time determining the future direction of actions in line with required reform processes as identified.

By acquiring observer status, the Council will have the opportunity to directly participate in ENCJ processes and activities, gain insight from lessons learned by EU countries in relation to judicial reform, identify strengths and weaknesses from within our own system by utilising European standards, as well as define areas for improvement, which will, in turn, contribute to drawing the BiH judiciary closer to European standards and, ultimately, BiH accession to the European Union.

The HJPC BiH, as part of the European Network of Councils for the Judiciary, harmonises its efforts in line with the highest European standards that serve to guarantee an independent, strong and accountable judiciary for all citizens.

The ENCJ General Assembly was attended by Mr Halil Lagumdžija, President of the HJPC BiH, and Mr Admir Suljagić, Director of the HJPC BiH Secretariat.