OSCE Head of Mission to BiH congratulates ‎new leadership of BiH High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council

SARAJEVO, 10 February 2021 – Kathleen Kavalec, Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, congratulated Halil Lagumdžija, newly elected President of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HJPC) and Sanela Gorušanović-Butigan and Biljana Simeunović, as Vice Presidents.

“The Mission supports the HJPC BiH as the essential institution mandated to ensure the independence, impartiality, and professionalism of the BiH judiciary. The HJPC, as the body charged not only with appointing judges and prosecutors but also with the creation, review, and dissemination of judicial policy in BiH has a crucial role to play in restoring public trust in judicial institutions and must lead judicial reform efforts.”  

Kavalec said that the HJPC can best lead by example, upholding the highest ethical standards while working to strengthen appointment processes and disciplinary proceedings.   

“The OSCE Mission to BiH remains a close partner to the HJPC and looks forward to co-operation with the newly elected HJPC leadership in all these processes aimed to strengthen the integrity, transparency and accountability of the BiH judiciary,” said Kavalec.