OSCE-supported workshop on international criminal law and transitional justice concludes in Bosnia and Herzegovina

International criminal law and transitional justice was the focus of an OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)-supported workshop for 20 law students from the Dzemal Bijedic University and the University of Mostar, which concluded on 9 March 2018 in Mostar.

The workshop aimed to enhance students’ legal knowledge and skills in order to prepare them for entry into the judiciary and for effectively processing war crimes cases. They had the opportunity to learn from legal practitioners and transitional justice professionals how to analyse evidence, write an indictment, represent and prosecute defendants in the main trial, examine witnesses and give closing arguments.

The concluding activity of the workshop was a mock trial presided over by Judge Danijela Dalipagic Rizvanovic of the Cantonal Court in Mostar, in which students practiced their trial advocacy skills.

“Students underwent intense and demanding training in the last three days. They were chosen for their academic performance, commitment to transitional justices issues, and potential to become leaders in the judicial system,” said Jasna Dobricik, Deputy Head of the Human Dimension Department of the OSCE Mission to BiH.

“This workshop helped me to acquire new and practical knowledge about international criminal law, something we as students do not have a chance to study in the faculty’s theoretical programme,” said Amil Brkovic, a law student at Dzemal Bijedic University.

Ivana Jelicic, a law student at the University of Mostar, highlighted the positive effect of this kind of extracurricular education. “At the workshop I realized how much I love practicing law. I am thankful to the highly trained and experienced lecturers for passing on to us their knowledge and experience, encouraging us to give our maximum.”

One of the lecturers was Darko Zovko of the Prosecutor’s Office in Mostar, who said: “The students showed a very high level of interest in the workshop. I hope we succeeded in preparing them for their future work as legal practitioners.”

The Extracurricular Workshop on International Criminal Law and Transitional Justice was previously held in Sarajevo and Banja Luka.