In a statement published on its website this week, the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of BiH has objected to its exclusion from the current round of the Structured Dialogue on Justice. Recent Dialogue sessions have involved the justice ministers from BiH and the entities, but not representatives from the HJPC, which is responsible for the oversight of most of the judicial agencies in BiH.
The HJPC said that the new format of the so-called ‘structured dialogue’ talks on justice reform with the European Union – in which only justice ministers from state and entity level take part – “do not reflect the role and significance of the HJPC”.
The EU delegation in Bosnia and Herzegovina responded by saying that it was “committed to enhance cooperation with the judicial institutions” and that the HJPC would be able to offer its input at an upcoming seminar.
The HJPC statement also criticized Republika Srpska’s planned referendum on the OHR’s decisions and the BiH judiciary.
