"We are deeply concerned about the changes in the Rules of Procedure of the High Judicial Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) that were adopted on January 17th. The changes in Article 4, regulating the way of including ethnic and gender balance in the selection process for positions in the HJPC, represent a big step backwards. The random drawing system from Article 4 provided an important element of impartiality in the selection process," US Embassy said Tuesday regarding the system adopted by the HJPC instead of drawing lots.

That system, the Embassy stated, opens up space for discrimination, including discrimination by freezing the current ethnic and gender balance in the Council. This, they stated, guarantees that the current members can apply for a second mandate and reduces the chances of electing candidates who do not meet the fixed ethnic and gender conditions that favour the current members of the HJPC.

“The US Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as a long-standing partner of the BiH authorities in the judicial reform process, joins partners from the international community and warns the HJPC that these changes could increase the possibility of corrupt activities and create the impression that HJPC members are manipulating procedures for personal interests. It is an unfortunate circumstance that in a period when the HJPC is expected to implement reforms and increase the integrity of the judiciary and help restore public trust, some members of the HJPC make decisions that further influence the formation of negative public perceptions of the HJPC and the judiciary in a wider context,” they noted.

The Embassy therefore calls on the HJPC to reverse this decision, adding that they recognize the minority of HJPC members led by President Halil Lagumdzija who worked to strengthen the judiciary's integrity under international standards by voting against this wrong decision.