Public Debate on the Proposal of the Law on the Attorney’s Profession



26.02.2009 – Today, in the organization of the Constitutional-Legal Commission of the House of Representatives and the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, was held a public debate on the Proposal of the Law on the Attorney’s Profession, whose principles were previously adopted by the House of Representatives. Secretary of the Ministry of Justice of BiH, Mr. Jusuf Halilagić, presented the Constitutional basis for enacting the above mentioned law, stressing the need to establish Bar Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially from the aspect of acting and association at the international level. He also pointed out that this proposal of the law does not deny the competencies of the entities and their bar associations.

Representatives of the Bar Association of FBIH and Federal Ministry of Justice also supported the law, explaining that only State Bar Association can request the membership in the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE). 

On the other hand, President of the Bar Association of RS, Mr. Joavn Čizmović, presented the contradictory opinions, challenging the Constitutional basis of the law and judging it as an attempt to take away the competencies of the Republic of Srpska. Mr. Čozmivić claims that the lack of the Bar Association of BiH is not an obstacle to international acting and membership in the European integration.

Concluding the debate, Chairman of the Constitutional-Legal Commission of the House of Representatives, Mr. Šefik Džaferović, invited the Ministry of Justice of BiH to organize within 15 days, during the so-called amendments phase, a meeting with the representatives of institutions from FBiH and RS, in order to harmonize the text of the law.

High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of BiH also supported the adoption of the Proposal of the Law on the Attorney’s Profession.

Complete insight into the Proposal of the Law on the Attorney’s Profession you can have here.