(Sarajevo, 24 November 2022) - The High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of BiH (HJPC BIH) hosted a two-day TAIEX workshop on „Enhancing the appointment procedure of judges and prosecutors with a special focus on appointment criteria" on November 23 and 24, 2022, in Sarajevo, using the European Commission's Technical Assistance and Information Exchange Instrument (TAIEX).

During the workshop, participants shared their experiences with Marin Mrčela, a judge of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia, on various aspects of the criteria for the appointment of judges and prosecutors, as well as the evaluation and grades of structured interviews with candidates, in order to ensure that the selection and career of judges and prosecutors is based on qualifications, integrity, ability, and efficiency. Moreover, during the workshop, participants gained an understanding of how various nomination criteria are regulated and evaluated in Croatia, including information on how the criteria are defined, applied, and evaluated.

„Choosing the best judicial personnel entails having a strong, independent, and accountable judiciary. As a result, the Council works continuously to strengthen the appointment of judicial office holders, both through its permanent bodies and through activities with international partners," said Halil Lagumdžija, president of the HJPC of BiH.

President Lagumdžija also stated that certain positive trends have been achieved when it comes to appointing candidates who are not judicial office holders. In this context, the HJPC implements new procedures based on Peer Review recommendations, including amendments to the HJPC Rules of Procedure and the Rulebook on the Qualification and Written Testing of Candidates for Judicial Officer Holders.

The Head of Rule of Law Section at European Union Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina Mr. Strippoli, stated: „The appointment system must be urgently improved since it contains so many inconsistencies and omissions. The rules of appointment and promotion are still applied inconsistently and with considerable discretion. An encouraging sign that the HJPC is ready to begin the process of changing the Rules of Procedure and other internal acts." 

The TAIEX workshop is one of the activities through which the HJPC of BiH strives to contribute to the improvement of the process of appointing judges and prosecutors and, as a result, to the fulfilment of the HJPC's reform goals and recommendations from the European Commission's Progress Report on BiH.

The TAIEX workshop conclusions will be available at websites http://vstv.pravosudje.ba and http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/taiex.

For more information, please contact the HJPC Cabinet Kabinetu Predsjedništva VSTV-a BiH at 033 707 570.