Series:Fondacija Centar za javno pravo - Projekti

Cooperative Federalism, Bundestreue (Federal Comity) and European Integration. Experiences from the German Federal System for Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Kooperativer Föderalismus, Bundestreue und europäische Integration. Deutsche Erfahrungen für Bosnien und Herzegowina?

Author(s): Jens Woelk / Language(s): German

Keywords: Bosnia and Herzegovina; constitution; federalism; European integrations; EU; cooperative federalism;

70 years German Basic Law – nearly 25 years Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The huge differences between both Constitutions, their application and their respective environment are evident suggesting not to even start a comparison, in particular due to the complexity and the peculiar situation of BiH. However, as both States are federal systems, the paper tries to highlight some structural elements of the German federal experience using them as a basis for reflections regarding the improvement of the current stalemate in BiH. The focus is on the different logic of German federalism, as a system which is based upon cooperation due to the asymmetrical set up in the functions of federal level and States. After a brief introduction on the origins and the historical environment conditioning the federal system, some structural elements making up the specific form of German cooperative federalism are illustrated: the systemic logic, an overview over the competencies and the institutional link, the Federal Council. The unwritten constitutional principle which guarantees cooperation and respect even in the absence of written rules in order to guarantee a functional and functioning system is discussed before focusing on the adaptation of the federal system to European integration and multi-level governance. After the presentation and brief illustration of each element of the German federal system, comparative reflections follow regarding the situation in BiH. While the German experiences are certainly not transferable to BiH as such, they clearly demonstrate that federalism will be a solution only, if there is a political will to make it work and to use it positively for making the system function as a system. Despite federalism being a structural principle for nearly 25 years in BiH, too, it has rather been a problem than the solution. The political will for overcoming the cold war after the conflict through cooperation and by improving the Dayton compromise has to come from within.

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Annex 4 of General Framework Agreement for Peace and Practice of Federalism: The Evaluation

Aneks 4 Opšteg okvirnog sporazuma za mir i praksa federalizma

Author(s): Davor Trlin / Language(s): Bosnian

Keywords: Annex 4; agreement; peace; federalism; Bosnia and Herzegovina; democracy; constitution;

The effects of federalism are unclear: some papers find that federalism has strong positive effects on a number of legal, socio-politically and economically relevant variables, others find negative effects. The results often crucially hinge upon the proxies for federalism used. In this paper, we critically survey the existing theoretical and practical consequences of BiH federalism. There are general negative consequences of federalism that are found in BiH constitutional system also: different laws on many things, complex economic, specially tax system, blockage of federal policy by distinct cultures. In BiH all these negative effects were manifested to the level of rigidity and the prevent the country to be efficient and to achieve higher level of democratic capacity.

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The Management of Public Companies and Institutions: Old Practice or Turnaround

Upravljanje javnim preduzećima i ustanovama: stara praksa ili zaokret

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): Bosnian

Keywords: Management; public institutions; public companies; management practice; politics;

Organiziranje ovog skupa motivirano je formiranjem koalicione većine u Kantonu Sarajevo koja je najavila i pokrenula imenovanje novih rukovodstava i novih upravnih struktura javnih preduzeća i ustanova. S obzirom da će novoimenovano rukovodstvo raditi u istom zakonskom okviru kao i smijenjene upravljačke strukture postavilo se pitanje grešaka u dosadašnjem upravljanju javnim preduzećima i ustanovama i kako postaviti nove smjernice za rad upravljačkih struktura da bi se poslovanje javnih preduzeća približilo međunarodnim standardima. Na skupu će se predstaviti ključne karakteristike ranije prakse upravljanja javnim preduzećima i ustanovama i pokrenuće se dijalog o mogućim i očekivanim promjenama u praksi. Cilj skupa je utvrđivanje pravila i kriterija prema kojima se novoimenovane upravljačke strukture moraju orijentirati kako bi poslovanje javnih preduzeća učinilo odgovornim i efikasnim. [...]

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Public Enterprises in the Social Integrity System of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Javna poduzeća u Sustavu društvenog integriteta Bosne i Hercegovine

Author(s): Dragan Slipac / Language(s): Croatian

Keywords: Bosnia and Herzegovina; public companies; corruption; public sector; corporate governance; public interest; management;

The widespread corruption in Bosnia and Herzegovina which takes on the character of systemic corruption has a negative impact on the organization and the effective functioning of the public sector as a whole, and especially to the efficient business activities of public enterprises. The author has shown some of the corruption problems that imply inefficient business activities of public enterprises analyzing the fundamental principles of corporate governance through transparency in the work, the functioning of management structures, conflicts of interest and internal controls and audits in the framework of the social integrity system of Bosnia and Herzegovina's path called horizontal control which determines the democratic functioning of institutions in the public and private sectors. The research is ultimately aimed to show the complexity of the organization and functioning of public enterprises within the framework of widespread corruption. That implies it is necessary to pay special attention to this issue in the future through improved legislation regarding corporate governance standards as well as through strategic planning in order to improve business efficiency in terms of satisfying the public interest.

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Formal and Factual Amendments to the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina: How Far Can We Go?

Formalne i faktičke izmjene i dopune Ustava Bosne i Hercegovine: koliko daleko možemo ići?

Author(s): Dženeta Omerdić / Language(s): Bosnian

Keywords: Constitution; Bosnia and Herzegovina; amendments to the Constitution; politics;

Having in mind the legal nature of the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the specificities of the modern state and constitutional and legal order of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the subject of this analysis emphasized the formal and factual amendments to the Constitution of B&H. The amendments to the Constitution should be done institutionally, which requires more active and accountable engagement of the relevant state authorities. However, current socio-political relations indicate that there is no political will in Bosnia and Herzegovina that is, in fact, indispensable for initiating the process of constitutional reform. As a legislative body, whether it is formal or factual amendments to the Constitution, the Parliamentary Assembly of B&H has an extremely important role in the process of constitutional reform. Beside the Parliamentary Assembly, the key state authority for (eventual) factual amendments to the Constitution of B&H is the Constitutional Court of B&H. At this phase of social stagnation, we are demanding and (justifiably) expecting from the Constitutional Court a more positive activism. It is time for new meaning and new interpretation of the constitutional principles. Also it is time that the principle of the rule of law becomes the primary determinant of the contemporary constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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Do the Judgments of the European Court on Human Rights Influence the Nature of Constitutional Order of Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Utiču li presude Evropskog suda za ljudska prava na prirodu ustavnog uređenja Bosne i Hercegovine?

Author(s): Goran Marković / Language(s): Bosnian

Keywords: European Court; human rights; constitution; Bosnia and Herzegovina; democracy; politics;

The author develops the attitude that the judgments of the European Court on Human Rights do not necessarily influence the nature of the constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Various proposals on the constitutional reform had been formulated. Some of them had been directed on the radical transformation of the political-territorial organization, as well as the organization and competences of the institutions, such as the Parliamentary Assembly and the Presidency. The author analyses the influence of various constitutional solutions on the composition, election, and the competences of particular institutions. The analysis shows that the majority of these solutions do not influence on the nature of the constitutional order. Some of them could influence to different degrees on the realization of the federal principles, and the principles of the consociative democracy, but not on the nature of the entities, or on their relationship with the state.

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The Scope of Possible Amendments to the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Opseg mogućih izmjena i dopuna Ustava Bosne i Hercegovine

Author(s): Nurko Pobrić / Language(s): Bosnian

Keywords: Constitution; Bosnia and Herzegovina; amendments to the constitution; political system;

In this annex, in brief, some of the reasons for the failure to function of the constitutional and political system of Bosnia and Herzegovina are analyzed. The need for amendments to the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina is emphasized. At the same time, there are problems in Bosnian and Herzegovinian political and social reality that make it impossible to adopt a new constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The author of the report considers that constitutional changes can be made on the basis of the proposed amendments from 2006 (April package). If these changes were to be accepted, in the opinion of the author, the identity of the Dayton Constitution would not change significantly, but more efficient functioning of Bosnia and Herzegovina's political institutions would follow. Understandably, the changes to the Constitution also imply the execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights.

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The Second Expert Discussion on the Evaluation of the Work of Judges and Prosecutors in BiH

Druga stručna rasprava o vrednovanju rada sudija i tužilaca u BiH

Author(s): Edin Šarčević,Hajrija Sijerčić-Čolić / Language(s): Bosnian

Keywords: Expert discussion; evaluation; judges; prosecutors; Bosnia and Herzegovina;

Druga stručna rasprava o vrednovanju rada sudija i tužilaca u BiH (Organizatori: Centar za javno pravo i Univerzitet u Sarajevu - Pravni fakultet Sarajevo 02. 11. 2018)

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Policy on the Procedure for Evaluating the Performance of Judicial Office Holders

Правилник о поступку оцјењивања рада носилаца правосудних функција

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): Bosnian,Croatian,Serbian

Keywords: Bosnia and Herzegovina; prosecutors; judges; judicial office holders; performance; evaluation;

Правилником о поступку оцјењивања рада носилаца правосудних функција (у даљем тексту: Правилник) утврђују се поступак и рокови за провођење оцјењивања рада на основу критерија које доноси ВСТС БиХ (у даљем тексту: Критерији), Упутства за примјену критерија (у даљем тексту: Упутство) и рјешавања приговора на оцјену рада, поступак и овлаштења за провођење надзора над оцјењивањем рада и верификација оцјена рада. [...]

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Conclusions from the Expert Discussion with Foreign Participation: Evaluation of the Work of Judges and Prosecutors in BiH (Sarajevo 29.05.2018)

Zaključci sa stručne rasprave sa inozemnim učešćem: Vrednovanje rada sudija i tužilaca u BiH (Sarajevo 29. 05. 2018)

Author(s): Edin Šarčević / Language(s): Bosnian

Keywords: Expert discussion; evaluation; performance; judges; prosecutors; Bosnia and Herzegovina;

Fondacija Centar za javno pravo (FCJP) se zahvaljuje Pravnom fakultetu u Sarajevu za suorganizaciju ovog skupa i ističe značaj učešća akademske zajednice u utvrđivanju standarda vrednovanja rada sudija i tužilaca. Upravo se u ovom području može uspostaviti produktivan spoj teorije i prakse koji bi trebao ponuditi orijentire za optimiranje kriterija ocjene rada tužilaca i sudija. [...]

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Press Release of the Judges’ Association of Serbia

Saopštenje za javnost Društva sudija Srbije

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): Serbian

Keywords: Republic of Serbia; Judges’ Association of Serbia; constitution; amendments on the constitution;

Povodom treće po redu verzije, ovog puta u formi nazvanoj Nacrt amandmana na Ustav Republike Srbije (za javnu raspravu), koju je Ministarstvo pravde objavilo na svom veb-sajtu kasno popodne 11. septembra 2018. godine, bez nacrta Ustavnog zakona za sprovođenje amandmana i bez poziva za javnu raspravu, Društvo sudija Srbije izdaje sledeće saopštenje. [...]

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Opinion of the Venice Commission on the Draft Amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia

Mišljenje Venecijanske komisije o nacrtu amandmana na Ustav Republike Srbije

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): Serbian

Keywords: Venice Commission; Serbia; constitution; amendments to the constitution; Ministry of Justice;

U pismu datiranom 13. april 2018, gospođa Nela Kuburović, ministar pravde Srbije, podnela je zahtev za mišljenje Venecijanske komisije o nacrtu amandmana na ustavne odredabe koje se tiču pravosuđa (CDL-REF(2018)015, dalje „Nacrt amandmana“). Novembra 2017. godine Ministarstvo pravde Srbije (dalje, „Ministarstvo pravde“) zatražilo je od Venecijanske komisije pomoć u izradi ustavnih amandmana koji se odnose na pravosuđe. Venecijanska komisija je imenovala gospodina Jamesa Hamiltona, ranijeg člana Venecijanske komisije1, da otputuje u Beograd, Srbiju, i prisustvuje sastancima sa Ministarstvom pravde i drugim zainteresovanim stranama sa ciljem da pruži pomoć Ministarstvu pravde u izradi predloga ustavnih amandmana o pravosuđu, u skladu sa prethodnim mišljenjima Venecijanske komisije, i da o tome izvesti Venecijansku komisiju. [...]

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Call for Meeting on University Autonomy (Sarajevo, 06. 03. 2018)

Poziv za skup o autonomiji univerziteta (Sarajevo, 06. 03. 2018)

Author(s): Edin Šarčević / Language(s): Bosnian

Keywords: University autonomy; higher education; Bosnia and Herzegovina; law on higher education;

Iz akademskih krugova je povodom donošenja zakona o visokom obrazovanju (tuzlanski i sarajevski kanton) upućeno niz zamjerki na ograničavanje autonomije univerziteta. Prigovara se i privilegiranju privatnih ustanova visokog obrazovanja. U Srbiji je septembra 2017. godine donešen novi Zakon o visokom obrazovanju kojem se također prigovara da je narušio autentična obilježja autonomije visokih škola. Da li se u regiji nazire novi trend? [...]

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Institutions for Education of Judges and Prosecutors in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republic of Serbia: comparative analysis

Institucije za edukaciju sudija i tužilaca u Bosni i Hercegovini i Republici Srbiji: komparativna analiza

Author(s): Davor Trlin,Arben Murtezić / Language(s): Bosnian

Keywords: BiH; Serbia; judges; education; comparative analysis; Judicial Academy;

The aim of this analysis is to provide an overview of specific segments of education of judicial officials in BiH and to compare them with Serbia, which has a Judicial Academy, in order to raise, in the scientific and professional public, the question of the possible need for the existence of a judicial academy in BiH, i.e. the transformation of Judicial and Prosecutorial Training Centers in BiH into judicial academies or one Judicial Academy.

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The Constitutional Court on the “Control of Comprehension” of Fundamental Rights in Court Decisions

Ustavni sud o “kontroli razumevanja” ustavom garantovanih prava u sudskim odlukama

Author(s): Irena Pejić / Language(s): Serbian

Keywords: BiH; Constitutional Court; Constitution; fundamental rights;

In principle, a constitutional complaint before the Constitutional Court initiates the procedure of “control of comprehension” of fundamental rights by the ordinary court. As an instrument for the protection of fundamental rights, a constitutional complaint may lead to deepening the tensions between the Constitutional Court and ordinary courts. This potential “dispute” can be perceived from two different perspectives. The first one considers a dilemma about the principle of the separation of powers, i.e. whether it is allowed for the authority which is not part of the judicial system to review ordinary court decisions. Arguments in favor of establishing the Constitutional Court control of court decisions can be found in the general theoretical justification of constitutional review. If the constitutional review in abstract is not a threat to the legislative power of the National Assembly, the constitutional complaint as an instrument of “control of comprehension” of fundamental rights by ordinary courts does not constitute an interference with their independence. Thus, this form of inter partes constitutional review is in accordance with the rule of law. The second level of analysis refers to the effect of the Constitutional Court control in regard to ordinary courts and citizens, i.e. the consequences caused by the Constitutional Court decision. The main goal of constitutional review is to remove unconstitutional acts from a legal order, but the question remains whether it is enough for the right holder. The Constitutional Court performs a control of constitutional justifiability in order to find out any violation of fundamental rights. If there is a violation, the case should be returned to the State authority or ordinary court which is obliged to respect the standpoints contained in the Constitutional Court decision. According to the Serbian national law, a court decision could be annulled by the Constitutional Court decision, but with no clear indication of what happens with a violated right. The question is whether the Constitutional Court is obliged to return “the case” to an ordinary court after annulment or not. We believe an explicit provision should be introduced into the Constitutional Court Act of the Republic of Serbia, as follows: after the Constitutional Court has resolved a specific constitutional issue as to whether a fundamental right has been violated, the ordinary court should have the authority to finally decide on a specific dispute in accordance with the Constitutional Court decision. Thus, the Constitutional Court decision should not annul the judgment ab initio; rather, the judgment should be revoked and the case file should be sent to the ordinary court for a retrial in order to restore the fundamental rights of the applicant. The effects of the Constitutional Court decision are ex nunc so that the final decision regarding a specific case should be made by the ordinary court. In this manner, both principles can be preserved: the principle of constitutionality and legality as well as the principle of the separation of powers.

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Why Bosnia and Herzegovina is not Switzerland or Germany of Southeast Europe

Zašto Bosna i Hercegovina nije Švicarska ili Njemačka Jugoistočne Evrope

Author(s): Joseph Marko / Language(s): Bosnian

Keywords: BiH; postwar period evaluation; Dayton accords; Germany; Switzerland;

Već kao izabranom sudiji izvjestiocu u predmetu br. U-5/98 Ustavnog suda Bosne i Hercegovine, što je pozicija na koju su me izabrale sve kolege sudije, postalo mi je jasno kakve poteškoće sa sobom donosi provedba Ustava iz Daytona. Mirovni sporazum iz Daytona i Pariza je sa sobom donio dualnu ustavnopravnu strukturu koja je počivala na političkom kompromisu.

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Impact of the Jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights on the Decisions of the Constitutional Court of Serbia in the Procedure of Constitutional Appeal

Uticaj jurisdikcije Evropskog suda za ljudska prava na odlučivanje Ustavnog suda Srbije u postupku po ustavnoj žalbi

Author(s): Maja Nastić / Language(s): Serbian

Keywords: Serbia; Constitutional Court; European Court of Human Rights; ECHR; evaluation;

The impact of the jurisdiction of the ECtHR on the Constitutional Court decisions is analyzed based on the normative framework established by the Constitution of Serbia (2006). Of particular importance are the provisions of the Constitution governing the relationship between national and international law, the basic principles of human and minority rights as well as the provisions on the Constitutional Court. By establishing the jurisdiction of the Constitutional Court to decide on constitutional complaints, the Republic of Serbia became a part of the large number of countries that recognized the importance of this legal instrument. At the same time, the constitutional complaint emerges as a specific „reference point“ between the national constitutional court and the European Court of Human Rights. It is the last legal remedy to be used before possible referral to the European Court. The complainants often turn to the Constitutional Court because of violation of their rights enshrined in the ECHR. However, when the protection of this rights is also ensured by the Constitution, the Constitutional Court shall assess the violation or denial of the right concerning the relevant provisions of the Constitution. The impact of the jurisdiction of the European Court on the decision-making of the Constitutional Court in the procedure of constitutional appeals is analyzed from two aspects: a general one, concerning the fundamental principles on which human rights protection system is based and from the perspective of individual guarantees of human rights. The Constitutional Court shows its willingness to adapt its jurisdiction and bring it into line with the ECHR and the case-law of the European Court. Moreover, the Constitutional Court of Serbia demonstrates that it understands the ECHR as a living instrument. However, the Constitutional Court should not be overshadowed and blindly guided by the case-law of the European Court or to use it as a “paravane“ to justify political desirable decisions. This is important because it is expected that the Constitutional Court will show the path that regular courts should follow to protect human rights and freedoms.

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The Jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights in the Constitutional Complaint Proceedings before the Constitutional Court

Primena prakse Evropskog suda za ljudska prava od strane Ustavnog suda u postupcima po ustavnim žalbama

Author(s): Nataša Plavšić / Language(s): Serbian

Keywords: Serbia; European Convention on Human Rights; Constitutional Court of Serbia; case-law;

The European Convention on Human Rights and the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights have special position in the legal order of the Republic of Serbia – they are part of the of the Serbian legal system, they are below the Constitution and above the law and they are directly implemented and applicable. This special position of the European Convention and the jurisdiction of the Strasbourg Court have been recognized by the Constitutional Court of Serbia who frequently applies Strasbourg standards and jurisdiction. The paper analyzed the examples of good practice of the Constitutional Court in the implementation and harmonization of its case-law with the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights and challenges that the Constitutional Court is facing in this process.

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Bar Exam in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Analysis of the Situation and Experiences

Pravosudni ispit u BiH: Analiza stanja i iskustva

Author(s): Nihad Odobašić / Language(s): Bosnian

Keywords: BiH; legal education; Bar Exam; examination of the jurist's knowledge;

Bar Exam is one of the most important steps in legal education. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, passing the bar exam is possible before the entity and state levels, respectively before the Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Federal Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Justice of Republika Srpska. Based on the personal experience of the author, this paper examines the most important legal solutions regarding the procedure and content of the bar exam, discussing key segments that need to be modified in order for bar exam to fit its primary purpose: adequate examination of the jurist's knowledge. The first part of the paper presents the conditions, as well as the two-part structure of the bar exam. The oral part of the exam, with its new design after the recent changes of the Federal Ministry of Justice is problematical since it does not enable complete insight into the candidate's knowledge. The second part of the paper is about basic statistics results on the performance and success rate of the bar exam before the Federal Ministry of Justice. Following part of the paper is devoted to the composition of the bar examination commissions and the fundamental criterion of "high reputation of legal expert" required for appointment to the Commission. There are several examples that point to a broad interpretation of the above criterion, which results in erroneous practice in the appointment of the examination commissions. In the final part of the paper, I analyze the existence of informal preparatory seminars as well as the participation of examination commissions members in such seminars. In this segment of the pre-bar exam seminars there is a lack of regulation on the participation of commissions members as lecturers, since they later examine candidates who have previously met in such informal trainings. The concluding considerations outline the key problems in the current system of passing the bar exam in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as possible solutions to preserve the bar exam as the most important examination of the knowledge of every jurist's career.

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Education Of Lawyers For Judical/Prosecutorial Functions in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Obrazovanje pravnika za sudijsku/tužilačku funkciju u Bosni i Hercegovini

Author(s): Smajo Šabić / Language(s): Bosnian

Keywords: BiH; lawyers education; higher education; judges and prosecutors;

Every society seeks to establish a well-organized and efficient legal order. The premise of a well-regulated social, and therefore legal order, is a well-regulated legal system. Within the legal system, legal regulations play a very important role, starting with the Constitution, laws and other by-laws, which regulate in more detail both the general social order and the legal order between the state and its citizens, and the order between the citizens themselves. Also, a very important role is played by the state authorities responsible for law enforcement, especially for their preventive action. In the end, judicial authorities play a particularly important role as a protective corrective of the legal order and as such constitute the third pillar of power in a society, namely the judiciary. Effectiveness of a judicial authority in a society depends on how well organized it is and how independent it is from any influences in its overall organization and daily work. The aspiration of every society is to create quality preconditions for a good organization of the judiciary, starting with the establishment of a well-organized system of education of lawyers and their professional training as judges and prosecutors. The subject of this research is exploring the current way of arranging a lawyer's education system for the judicial and prosecutorial function of the de lege lata, with all its advantages and disadvantages, and exploring a possible future de lege ferenda model and how to organize the education of lawyers for judges and prosecutors.

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