TI BiH is organizing a Forum on the Reform of the Integrity of the Judiciary in BiH

Sarajevo, March May 2021 – On the occasion of the amendments to the Law on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which deal with issues of integrity of judicial office holders, TIBIH organizes a public debate on proposed solutions and proposals for improving integrity and accountability. A form on the reform of the integrity of the judiciary will be held May 4 at the Swissotel Hotel in Sarajevo, starting at 10:50 a.m., and will be broadcast online via the Zoom platform.

Given that strengthening the integrity of the judiciary is a precondition for establishing independence and restoring citizens’ trust in the judiciary, the Forum will open a discussion on specific recommendations and proposals of all relevant actors, including representatives of the judiciary, international organizations and civil society.

Participants will be addressed by the Head of the EU Delegation to BiH, Johann Sattler, Johanna Strömquist, Ambassador of Sweden to BiH, Kathleen Kavalec, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH and Ellen Germain, Deputy Head of Mission at the US Embassy in BiH. panelists – representatives of the judiciary, the Ministry of Justice, Parliament and civil society – participate from the Swissotel Hotel.

In accordance with the current situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and respecting the epidemiological measures prescribed by the competent institutions, statements and addresses of ambassadors can be downloaded by participating in the Forum online via Zoom, for which you can register at the following link: https: // zoom. us / webinar / register / WN_QC-ofTMbTj6eITVckKrzFw while the statements of other panelists will be organized at Swissotel from 10:30.

The agenda is below.

May 4, 2021

Hotel Swissotel Sarajevo

10:50 – 11: 00h – Introductory speech

• Srđan Blagovčanin, Transparency International in Bosnia and Herzegovina

11:00 – 11:30 – Panel I – Preliminary support for judicial reform and expectations from the reform process

• E. Ambassador Johann Sattler, Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina
• E. Ambassador Johanna Strömquist, Embassy of Sweden in Bosnia and Herzegovina
• E. Ambassador Kathleen Kavalec, OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Ellen Germain, Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in BiH

11:30 – 12:00 – Panel II – Perspective of the Judicial Community on Amendments to the HJPC Law

• Halil Lagumdžija, President of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Goran Nezirović, Judge of the Supreme Court of FBiH
• Munib Halilović, Chief Federal Prosecutor of the FBiH Federal Prosecutor’s Office

12:00 – 12:30 – Panel III – Providing political support in adopting the necessary solutions

• Damir Arnaut, Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Temporary Investigation Commission of the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliament for Determining the Situation in the Judiciary
• Alma Čolo, MP and member of the Temporary Investigation Commission of the House of Representatives of the PA BiH for determining the situation in the judiciary
• Željko Bogut, Secretary of the Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina

12:30 – 13:00 – Panel IV – Recommendations of civil society organizations and the media for the improvement of the law on the HJPC

• Mervan Miraščija, Open Society Fund in Bosnia and Herzegovina (FOD BiH)
• Leila Bičakčić, Center for Investigative Reporting (CIN)
• Denis Dzidic, Balkan Research Network in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIRN BiH)
• Uglješa Vuković, Transparency International in Bosnia and Herzegovina