The Third Conference of BiH Ministers of Justice



23 Dec 2009- Today the Third Conference of BiH Ministers of Justice, the Chairman of the BiH High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council and the Judicial Commission of the Brčko District of BiH has been held. The Conference aiming at coordinated monitoring of key reforms implementation in the justice sector in BiH has been attended by ministers and representatives of 13 Ministries of Justice at the state, entity and cantonal levels and representatives of the BiH High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council and the Judicial Commission of the Brčko District of BiH.

The conference has discussed an implementation report on the BiH Justice Sector Reform Strategy and provided recommendations for overcoming the found shortcomings in the implementation of planned reform measures.

In the first year of the implementation of the BiH Justice Sector Reform Strategy to date, 112 reform activities out of 140 planned ones have been fully or partially carried out. The BiH judicial authorities have met most of requirements under the Road Map for visa-free regime.

In this period the courts and prosecutor's offices have been computerized, analyses of required legal measures have been made with a view to reducing the backlog and a proposal for adjudication of the unpaid utility bills cases has been prepared. An analysis of real time processing of cases in the prosecutor's offices has been made, a need for changes in the number of judges in relation to the workload has been identified, the Draft Rulebook on the Judicial Time Norms has been prepared.

Amendments to the Law on the Execution of Criminal Sanctions, Detention and Other Measures have come into effect, additionally improving the control of security in prisons and introducing other European prison standards. Activities to re-classify prisons and to develop a system of the enforcement of alternative punishments have been launched and An Analysis of the Implementation and Outcomes of Probation has been made.

The Law on Mutual Legal Assistance, which inter alia creates conditions for the establishment of a single criminal register of Bosnia and Herzegovina nationals convicted abroad, has been passed. Various actions for improvement of alternative settlement of commercial disputes and actions in the land administration reform have been taken. Activities on the establishment of a joint donor fund to finance the justice reform have continued.

The conference participants have firmly committed to proceed with the reforms already started and to additionally intensify the engagement of BiH judicial authorities in achievement of the goals agreed.