It is necessary to protect the independence and professionalism of judiciary but it is also important that judicial officials' independence is followed by their responsibility and integrity, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina told N1.

“The Mission has recently issued several statements regarding the need to protect the independence and professionalism of judiciary in Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, we also clearly said that the independence of judicial officials must be followed with their responsibility and integrity,” said the OSCE's office in Sarajevo.

The Mission reiterated the stance from May 28, when it along with the US Embassy and the European Union's office in Sarajevo addressed the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC), Bosnia's special body overseeing the work of judiciary, and expressed support to the ongoing reforms that would introduce the asset declarations of judicial officials and evaluation of their work.

“Because those activities are in line with the recommendations stemming from the EU peer review and, in our opinion, it would improve the mechanisms to accomplish the responsibility of overall judicial system in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” the OSCE said.

Recently published opinion of the European Commission, the Mission recalled, strongly emphasised the necessity to urgently improve the judicial system and the OSCE is convinced that the measures that the HJPC adopted in the recent past will contribute to that.

“On the other hand, we also strongly support the need to adopt changes and amendments to the Law on the HJPC which will lead to the solution to structural issues regarding the Council's work and remove the problems in its work,” said the Mission.