Amendments to the agreements on judicial cooperation between the Bosnia and Herzegovina Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Serbia agreed on



16 July 2009 – During a two days' working meeting in Sarajevo expert teams of the Ministry of Justice of BiH and Ministry of Justice of the Republic Serbia agreed on important outstanding issues related to amending of the Agreement on Mutual Assistance in Civil and Criminal Matters and the Agreement on Mutual Enforcement of Judicial Decisions in Criminal Matters.

The agreed amendments to the Agreement on Mutual Assistance in Civil and Criminal Matters create conditions for overcoming existing difficulties in duplicating of criminal proceedings and investigations. Accordingly, a fair degree of understanding was reached about determining the principles for transfer of criminal proceedings.

The expert teams agreed that a huge progress had been made in the enforcement of criminal sanctions, where the greatest importance was attached to punishing of offenders and enforcment of criminal sanctions imposed, no matter where the sanctions were imposed. The agreed amendments to the Agreement on Mutual Enforcement of Judicial Decisions in Criminal Matters will make possible enforcement of judicial decision issued in one country when a convict happens to be found in the other country.

With a view to suppressing the modern forms of crimes the two sides agreed to stipulate in the Agreement completely new forms of international legal assistance. Thus, the Agreement stipulates, inter alia, the establishment of joint investigative team consisting of representatives of judicial institutions of the two countries, as required, in coordinated and joint efforts, especially when these are serious criminal cases, such as organized crimes and terrorism.

The two delegations agreed that a high degree of understanding was reached about amendments to the above-mentioned agreements. At the same time, it was concluded that some provisions should be reconsidered and then a final text would be prepared.

The expert teams were led by Jusuf Halilagić, the Secretary General of the Ministary of Justice of BiH, and Vojkan Simić, Assistant Minister of the Republic of Serbia.