SARAJEVO, NOVEMBER 16 (ONASA) – To what extent did investments in the construction and reconstruction of the buildings of judicial institutions affect the efficiency and quality of their work, was the topic in focus of the event during which the Monograph “Capital Investments in Judicial Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina through the High Court of Justice” was presented and Prosecutor’s Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina”.
As it was pointed out during the event, which was attended by representatives of the judiciary, ministries, the academic community and international partners, the infrastructure projects initiated in 2007 by the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HJPC BiH) resulted in more than 40 newly built, reconstructed and adapted facilities, in which more than 28,000,000 euros were invested, which was significantly reflected in the reduction of the number of pending cases by 50%, the shortening of the duration of court proceedings and the improvement of access to justice for citizens.
During his address, the president of the HJPC of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Halil Lagumdžija, pointed out that with the support of international partners, a significant number of judicial institutions’ facilities were built and reconstructed, and that now is the time when the responsibility for the maintenance, adaptation and construction of judicial institutions’ facilities should be taken over by the executive government and managers of judicial institutions.
The Director of the Secretariat of the HJPC of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Admir Suljagić, also pointed out the importance of more intensive use of domestic resources, as well as the necessity of full involvement of the judicial and executive authorities in the planning and implementation of funds for capital investments, which are necessary for an efficient judicial system.
The first process of renovation of judicial institutions began in 2007, with the reconstruction of the existing building and the construction of an additional floor of the District Court in East Sarajevo.
As the Director of the Judicial Administration of Norway and former international member of the HJPC of BiH, Sven Marius Urke, emphasized, “The HJPC of BiH has achieved enormous progress in this field in the last 15 years, in cooperation with international donors and domestic authorities at all levels. A large number of courts and prosecutor’s offices were built or renovated, and this would not have been possible without long-term and strategic planning, coordination and active operational engagement of the HJPC of BiH.”
The HJPC of Bosnia and Herzegovina implemented demanding infrastructure projects with the support of the Kingdom of Norway and Sweden, the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Swiss Confederation, the United States of America and the Netherlands, as well as numerous other international partners who supported judicial reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The publication of the monograph symbolically closes a very successful cycle of capital investments initiated by the HJPC BiH, advocating for securing financial resources through international donors. During the promotion of the monograph, it was also pointed out that strengthening the capacity of the judiciary and investing in the renovation and modernization of judicial institutions represent important elements on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s path to membership in the European Union.