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Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Judiciary and Anti-Corruption Efforts in 2018

Key Developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Judiciary and Anti-Corruption Efforts

In 2018, several key developments took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina related to its judiciary and anti-corruption efforts.

Council of Europe Action Plan for BiH (2018-2021)

  • Launched on July 16, 2018: A new four-year action plan was launched by the Council of Europe outlining joint cooperation between the Council and national partners to facilitate the country’s European integration process.
  • Objective: To support Bosnia and Herzegovina in its efforts to strengthen democracy, rule of law, and human rights.

OSCE Report on Judicial Shortcomings

  • Presented on June 21, 2018: The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina presented a report highlighting issues negatively impacting the quality and effectiveness of the judicial response to corruption in BiH.
  • Key findings:
    • Corruption is widespread in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s judiciary
    • Lack of accountability for judges and prosecutors
    • Insufficient resources and infrastructure for effective investigations and prosecutions

GRECO Compliance Report

  • Published on June 25, 2018: A report by GRECO concluded that Bosnia and Herzegovina had implemented satisfactorily none of the fifteen recommendations issued in the Fourth Round Evaluation Report.
  • Key findings:
    • Lack of effective anti-corruption measures
    • Insufficient enforcement of anti-corruption laws
    • Inadequate accountability for public officials

Criminal Procedure Code Amendments

  • Potential consequences: The failure to amend the Criminal Procedure Code could seriously harm the BiH judiciary, as provisions affected by a Constitutional Court decision may be repealed through a non-enforcement decision.
  • Importance of amendments: To ensure effective investigations and prosecutions, the Criminal Procedure Code must be amended to reflect changes in law and practice.

Meeting of the CoE Ministers’ Deputies

  • Welcomed on September 26, 2018: Deputies welcomed the adoption of the second Council of Europe Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina (2018-2021) and the improvement of BiH’s Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) regime.
  • Objectives: To strengthen Bosnia and Herzegovina’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing efforts and to support the country’s European integration process.