OSCE training course on trial advocacy in war crimes concludes in Bosnia and Herzegovina
A specialized training course on trial advocacy in war crimes cases, organized by the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in co-operation with the BiH Ministry of Justice Criminal Defence Section and the entity Judicial and Prosecutorial Training Centres, concluded on 20 October 2017 in Sarajevo.
Two two-day training events held in Teslic and Sarajevo gathered more than 50 judges, prosecutors and defence lawyers, who work on war crimes cases, from across Bosnia and Herzegovina. Participants increased their theoretical and practical knowledge in trial advocacy, and exchanged experiences and discussed current obstacles to advancing the effectiveness of war crimes processing in BiH.
In her opening remarks, Jasna Dobricik, Deputy Head of the Human Dimension Department of the OSCE Mission said: “The Mission remains committed to facilitating the work of justice institutions in BiH in ensuring the delivery of justice to victims of crime. This training course is a great example of collaboration between national judicial institutions in improving the professionalism and quality of investigations and trials in BiH.”
Minka Kreho, Judge of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, highlighted the significance of the trial advocacy training courses for legal professionals in increasing their knowledge and skills related to trial procedures in processing war crimes cases. “This training is of particular relevance for all participants. Although criminal legislation reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina was completed in 2003, both prosecutors and defence lawyers have not developed adequate trial advocacy skills, which makes it difficult for courts to make decisions.”
The training was a part of a wider educational programme aimed at achieving fair and efficient processing of war crimes cases in line with international standards. It was organized by the War Crimes Monitoring Project, implemented by the OSCE Mission to BiH and financed by the European Union.