Bosnian War Crimes Strategy Body Gets New Chief

Milan Tegeltija, president of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) said on Wednesday that he will no longer be a member of the supervisory body for implementation of the War Crimes Processing Strategy. He will be replaced by prosecutor Jadranka Lokmic-Misiraca. Tegeltija said during a HJPC session that he withdrew from the supervisory body due to other commitments, adding that Lokmic-Misiraca “will be able to dedicate much more time to this function”.

“My colleague Lokmic-Misiraca has been appointed a member of this body in her capacity as the vice-president of the HJPC, because the importance of the body itself requires that either the president or vice president of HJPC sit on it,” Tegeltija said.

Lokmic-Misiraca said she accepted the position, adding that she had already served as a member of the supervisory body for implementation of the War Crimes Processing Strategy on behalf of the state prosecution.

“It is a big job, but I really think I can handle the challenge,” Lokmic-Misiraca said.

The War Crimes Processing Strategy was adopted in late 2008. It stipulated that the most complex war-crime cases should be completed within seven years, while all the remaining cases should be completed in 15 years. When the seven-year deadline for the most complex investigations expired, the state prosecution requested that it be extended by three years. There are still a number of unfinished war-crime investigations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

At its session on Wednesday, the HJPC also appointed Alena Kurspahic as its chief disciplinary prosecutor. Kurspahic, the current acting chief disciplinary prosecutor, got 13 votes, while one member voted against her election and one abstained.

HJPC president Milan Tegeltija nominated Kurspahic although she was the second-best candidate who applied for the vacancy.

“She was the second-best candidate, but the first-ranking candidate scored only half a point more than her. This difference is negligible. She has performed the function of the acting chief disciplinary prosecutor very successfully. She has managerial experience and has reacted in an honourable and professional manner during the past turbulent period of time,” Tegeltija said.

After her election for a four-year term, Kurspahic said that it was in the interest of the entire judicial system for Office of the Disciplinary Prosecutor to work well.

“I thank the HJPC for appointing me and putting its trust in me, which also represents a recognition of the results achieved during my term as the acting manager of the office over the past ten months,” Kurspahic said.

She said the Office of the Disciplinary Prosecutor “protected the integrity of the judiciary” through its investigations, as well as protecting judges and prosecutors from unfounded complaints. Many disciplinary procedures against prosecutors and judges are currently underway in Bosnia and Herzegovina – one of them focusing on chief state prosecutor Goran Salihovic, which is currently suspended.