Mr. Zlatko Knežević, President of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Mrs. Biljana Braithwaite, Program Manager for the Western Balkans, AIRE Centre, London, signed today a Memorandum of Understanding within the framework of the Project “Judicial Capacity Building in Bosnia and Herzegovina with a view to harmonise domestic case-law and to comply with European legal standards”, funded by the British Embassy in Sarajevo, and implemented by the AIRE Centre.
The Project, which started in April 2019 and ends in March 2022, envisions strengthening the implementation of European legal standards in Bosnia and Herzegovina and, in particular, the European Convention on Human Rights in domestic case-law, which contributes to developing the judicial capacity in Bosnia and Herzegovina with a view to harmonize domestic case-law.
Mr. Zlatko Knežević, President of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, expressed his gratitude to the AIRE Centre and the British Embassy in Sarajevo for their long-standing support with regard to application of the European Convention on Human Rights. He emphasized: “With this Project, the Constitutional Court of BiH ensures a significant position in the field of education when it comes to cooperation in organization of conferences and seminars and in the area of harmonization of the legal system in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Indeed, the organization of professional conferences of the highest courts within the Judicial Forum for BiH, which were jointly initiated by the Constitutional Court and the AIRE Centre and continues for three years now, shows the need for a system in BiH, which is self-organized and at a high professional level, to point to problems in the relationship between court decisions. Therefore, the Judicial Forum is a key point in the joint operation of the judicial system in BiH. The participation of outstanding professionals from the United Kingdom is a contribution to our practice and theoretical knowledge.”
Recognizing the key role of the Constitutional Court of BiH in ensuring the implementation of the Convention on Human Rights at the national level, Mrs. Biljana Braithwaite stated: “The effectiveness of the European Convention on Human Rights and of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights depends on a national implementation. It is my great pleasure that the Constitutional Court of BiH has accepted the AIRE Centre as its partner, and today's memorandum is the crown of our long-standing cooperation. Through the Project, we disseminate good practices that contribute to raising standards in the field of human rights, provide the necessary expert assistance and work to strengthen domestic capacities, observing sustainability and end results.”
His Excellency Matthew Field, the British Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina whose government is financing the AIRE Centre Project within the framework of which the Memorandum of Understanding was signed, attended the meeting, too. On this occasion, Ambassador Field said: “Through this Project, the British Embassy in Sarajevo remains committed to strengthening the capacities of the Constitutional Court of BiH, as a strong and transparent institution without political influence.”
