On 13 November 2007, the Final Report of the Minor Court Restructuring Project was presented by Mr. Branko Peric, Director of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of BiH, Ambassador Dimitris Kourkoulas, Head of Delegation of the European Commission to BiH and H.E. Alessandro Fallavollita, Ambassador of Italy to BiH.

The on-going reform of the BiH judiciary is one of the country’s success stories and an example for neighbours in the region. The EU provided the majority of the funding for this, and many other, projects.

The 3-year Restructuring Project successfully saw new procedural laws drafted and adopted that are now in force in the entities. The system for adjudicating minor offence cases was restructured and came into effect in 2006. An appointment process for judges was established and the number of judges dealing with minor offences was halved. An electronic Register of Fines was designed; the database will improve enforcement and increase the collection of fines. Finally, the project provided a series of training sessions on the application of the new laws and use of the Register to over 2,500 officials and end-users.

Mr. Peric expressed his satisfaction for this successful reform carried out by a domestic institution, remembering that many challenges faced the HJPC when it was created in 2004. He noted the importance of the support received from the BiH Ministry of Justice and the entity Ministries during the project.

Ambassador Kourkoulas praised the commitment of all the local actors, notably the HJPC, and the project’s report, which stands as a testament to the hard work and will of individuals and institutions. He added that it demonstrates that, when there is the will, the country can implement reforms even with complex structures.

H.E. Alessandro Fallavollita said that Italy is proud to have contributed to this and other projects to support judicial reform. He stated that a strong and independent judiciary which all citizens can trust is a key element in a democracy and for sound development and full European integration.

Project experts provided an overview on the project’s achievements and on the registry database. The backlog of some 387,000 cases is now being addressed and soon the web-based database will allow for direct tracking of fines and outstanding payments, with certain administrative procedures, such as the emission of a driver’s license, no longer possible until the individual’s debt is paid.