Capacity building for judicial reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Improving the independence, effectiveness and professionalism of the judicial system in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The independence, effectiveness and professionalism of a judicial system require comprehensive judicial and prosecutorial training and effective non-judicial staff as important prerequisites for the free and just implementation of the rule of law. Human Dynamics, as a consortium leader, were engaged to assist the judiciary in Bosnia and Herzegovina in this area — through enhancing the overall professional capacities of judges, prosecutors and non-judicial staff in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and supporting the reform of legal and administrative framework for support staff in courts and prosecutors' offices — with a view to align with EU candidacy criteria.

Our team sought to improve the internal and external organisation and the non-judicial staff functions of the Judicial and Prosecutorial Training Centres (JPTC) and the Brcko District Judicial Commission. Separate reform plans were shaped to meet the needs of each of the two institutions. The team performed detailed gap assessments, a feasibility analysis, and worked with other relevant tools in order to discern the best possible programme to support the judiciary. The results of this careful analysis were two unique training programmes that met the individual needs of each organisation.

This project’s activities were instrumental in further strengthening the institutional capacity of the judicial and prosecutorial training centres, including curricula development, improving the delivery of trainings and facilitating the introduction of new training techniques. Our team also provided trainings and training of trainers in certain areas of criminal and civil law.

The final conference was held on the 21st of July 2016, marking a successful conclusion to a project that engaged over 30 staff, produced 64 outputs and achieved all of its objectives.

Project brief

Title: Capacity building for judicial reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Location: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sector:
PAR, Justice & Good Governance
Client: EU
Start: Oct 2013
Duration: 34 months
Status: Completed