OSCE Head of Mission expresses support for High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council in Sarajevo

SARAJEVO, 1 March 2013 – Fletcher Burton, the Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, discussed justice sector reform today with Admir Suljagic, the Director of the Secretariat of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Burton, who was accompanied by the Head of the Mission of Ireland to the OSCE, Ambassador Eoin O’Leary, discussed with Suljagic the status of justice sector reform in BiH and the key role of the HJPC in the effective functioning of the judiciary. “What people of every country need is confidence in the justice system and, in BiH, the HJPC plays a crucial role in building that trust and confidence. As elsewhere, an independent, accountable and efficient judiciary must be upheld in BiH,” said Burton.

Burton referred to the long-standing co-operation between the HJPC and the OSCE and stressed the importance of the independence of the judiciary. “There is no room for political interference in the justice system and all measures must be taken to ensure that the judiciary is independent. This is important for strengthening the rule of law in BiH and advancing on the path to European integration,” he said.

They also discussed a forthcoming OSCE project on war crimes processing in BiH, which is being funded by the US, UK, Swiss, Norwegian and Italian governments. Suljagic confirmed the HJPC’s full support for the project, which aims to increase the efficiency of courts and prosecutors’ offices in processing war crimes cases and reducing the backlog of cases. The project is expected to be launched later this month.