Thematic Conference of Court Presidents on “Backlog Reduction” was held today in Mostar. The Conference was organised by the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HJPC BiH) within the framework of the EU (from IPA 2012) projects “Consolidation and Further Development of the Judicial Communication and Information System” and „Judicial Efficiency“, which is also financed by the Kingdoms of Norway and Sweden.

The purpose of the conference was presentation of the performance results of the courts for 2013, achieving greater efficiency in the application of the Instructions and the method for drafting plans for the resolution of cases in 2014. Presentations were also made regarding activities that have been undertaken with respect to foreseeable judicial timeframes as well as on the results achieved thus far towards improving judicial efficiency in BiH.  

The conference was opened by welcome addresses by Ruzica Jukic, Vice-president of the HJPC BiH and H.E., Mr. Fredrik Schiller, Ambassador of Sweden in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  

Ms. Jukic stated: “In viewing the realisation of the Backlog Reduction Plan for 2013, it is evident that more than 72 000 old cases were resolved, that the courts productivity increased and that the number of old and unresolved cases was reduced. Notwithstanding the good results, courts should continue to invest more efforts into resolving the oldest cases. We are aware of the objective circumstances that make it difficult to solve the cases, but we cannot deal with justifications, instead we have to identify new, workable solutions.”

H.E., Mr. Fredrik Schiller emphasized that judicial efficiency is important, not just as a measure of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s readiness to join the European Union, but also for ordinary citizens. People and companies need to be able to rely on the judiciary to resolve conflicts in a reasonable amount of time. HJPC has a very important role in coordinating and supporting judicial efficiency and supporting the proper implementation of the quota system and the backlog reduction plans.

The following conclusions were adopted at todays thematic conference.

1. The courts must make additional efforts towards the comprehensive realisation of the case resolution plans, with focus on the oldest cases.
2. The court presidents shall be required to monitor the realisation of the case resolution plan on a monthly level, for each judge separately in order to achieve maximum efficiency and adherence with Article 6 of the EConHR.
3. The courts must consistently apply the provisions of the Instructions for drafting plans for the resolution of cases and the resolution of cases according to the initial filing date and stop the practice of processing cases on merits that do not fall under the plan and are not urgent cases.
4. In order to properly apply the provisions of the Instructions and draft realistic plans, the courts must regularly utilise the advisory support of the Unit.
5. When recording cases in the CMS, the courts need to secure high quality data for the optimal application of the Book of Rules on Foreseeable Timeframes.

Responsible task of improving and administrating judicial efficiency is given to Judicial Efficiency Unit which is established and work under the HJPC BiH umbrella. Main tasks of the Judicial Efficiency Unit are monitoring of implementation of Backlog Reduction Plans as a tool in achieving work efficiency of courts and backlog reduction as well as the establishment of cooperation and support to courts to improve their work efficiency.  

By recognising the importance of judicial efficiency as a crucial precondition for the European integration, the EU is financing the project entitled “Consolidation and Further Development of the Judicial Communication and Information System” with 1,8 million EUR from IPA 2012 funds. The Project signals the beginning of a new phase in the development of the judicial information system in BiH and the continuation of activities aimed at improving the efficiency of the judiciary which will lead to the development of new functionalities and ensure the sustainability of the Case Management System (CMS), reduce the number of unresolved cases and the number of war crime cases in the courts as well as increase public confidence and improve the image of the judiciary.   

The “Judicial Efficiency” Project has received a substantial amount of financial support from the European Union and the Kingdom of Norway and Sweden. The project aims at improving the efficiency of courts in BiH, backlog reduction and in particular the efficiency in the processing of civil cases in the country’s first instance courts. Using the aforesaid significant funds in achieving set objectives requires the highest level of responsibility and careful planning. The HJPC BiH is already proven to be a successful implementer of judicial projects that is recognized by all donors.