Amendments to Laws on the Court of BiH and Prosecutor's Office Adopted in the First Reading



17.09.2009. - House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH adopted in the first reading Proposal of the Law on Amendments to the Law on the Court of BiH and Proposal of the Law on Amendments to the Law on Prosecutor's Office of BiH, which define the mandate of foreign judges and prosecutors in BiH judicial institutions. Proposed amendments to the Law on the Court of BiH extend the mandate of international judges in the transitional period by 31 December 2012 in the second-instance court panel of the Section for War Crimes, with the provision that only one international judge can participate in the Appellate Panel.

International judge can continue to work on case in the Section I of the Criminal Division, only if the work on that case began before entry into force of this Law. There are five of such cases in which the foreign judges are included.

Proposal of the Law on Amendments to the Law on the Prosecutor's Office of BiH will provide, inter alia, the extension of mandate of international prosecutors in the Special Department for War Crimes after 31 December 2009. That transitional period may last no longer than 31 December 2012. The amendments determine that international prosecutors cannot be appointed as Deputy of Chief Prosecutor or Head/Deputy Head of the Special Department for War Crimes