Conflict of Interest in the Appointment of the HJPC Secretariat Director: Ministry of Justice Secretary Evaluated the Minister’s Chief of Cabinet

Banja Luka, 13 July 2025 – The High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HJPC) appointed Ivana Zovko-Planinić as Director of the HJPC Secretariat, despite warnings from Transparency International in Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BiH) regarding bias and a potential conflict of interest in her appointment.

The Civil Service Agency of BiH conducted the competition for the position, ranking Zovko-Planinić—currently Chief of Cabinet at the Ministry of Justice of BiH and former adviser to Presidency member Dragan Čović—as the best candidate. One of the commission members evaluating candidates was Željko Bogut, Secretary at the same ministry. This was confirmed by information obtained by TI BiH from the Civil Service Agency, indicating that such a composition of the commission can hardly be considered coincidental.

Given that both the candidate and a member of the selection commission are employed by the same institution, there are reasonable grounds to suspect bias during the evaluation process. Therefore, according to TI BiH’s interpretation, Bogut should have recused himself from the commission.

The Law on Civil Service in the Institutions of BiH clearly stipulates that a member of a selection commission must resign if a conflict of interest exists. The same law repeatedly underlines the obligation of independence and impartiality of competition commissions and emphasizes the duty to avoid any potential conflict of interest.

TI BiH requested copies of the minutes from the competition commission that evaluated the applications from the Civil Service Agency of BiH, and submitted information about this case to the Agency’s leadership, the HJPC, and each Council member individually, urging a review of the appointment and the entire selection procedure.

Although TI BiH appealed to HJPC members to consider these circumstances when deciding on the appointment, the Council nevertheless appointed Zovko-Planinić, disregarding integrity concerns surrounding the selection process for such a crucial position.

The HJPC Secretariat supports and organizes the work of the Council, implements its decisions, manages the budget, and performs tasks essential for the functioning of the judiciary. Any indication of bias or lack of independence in the appointment of its director could have far-reaching consequences for public trust in the integrity of the HJPC and the wider judiciary, already undermined by numerous scandals.

This case is yet another example showing that appointments in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s key judicial institutions remain subject to open political influence, prevailing over legally prescribed procedures, while merit, integrity, and independence continue to play only a marginal role.