OSCE/ODIHR completes trial skills trainings for judiciary handling war crimes cases in Bosnia and Herzegovina

SARAJEVO, 29 September 2011 - A training seminar on trial advocacy skills for judges, prosecutors and defence lawyers handling war crimes cases in Bosnia and Herzegovina ended in Teslić today. The training was part of the War Crimes Justice Project (WCJP), which is led by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, in partnership with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). The project is funded by the European Union.

This was the last in a series of three trial advocacy skills in which judges, prosecutors and defence lawyers working on war crimes cases in Bosnia and Herzegovina were trained together. It was led by Carol Peralta, Judge of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Joanna Korner, Senior Trial Attorney in the Office of the Prosecutor at the ICTY, and Defence Counsel Vasvija Vidović from the Association of Defence Counsel practicing before the ICTY.

“These courses were particularly innovative in that they provided judges, prosecutors and defence lawyers with the opportunity to work together in a mock courtroom setting,” said Christopher Engels, WCJP Regional Coordinator.

The seminar, responding to the results of a needs assessment, focused specifically on the handling of objections, dealing with experts who testify at trial, as well as on examination techniques.

The course was organized in co-operation with the Centre for Judicial and Prosecutorial Training of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Centre for Judicial and Prosecutorial Training of the Republika Srpska, and the Criminal Defence Section of the Justice Ministry of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Judges from the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, cantonal courts and district courts from throughout the country took part in the training. Prosecutors from the Office of the Prosecutor as well as those from the cantonal and district prosecutors office also attended. The defence lawyers participating in the training are war crimes lawyers representing clients before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, cantonal courts and district courts.

The War Crimes Justice Project is a 4-million euro regional project funded by the European Union and carried out by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODHIR) in partnership with the ICTY, the UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute and OSCE field operations.

This project is funded by the European Union.

For more information please call Ms. Sanela Tunović, War Crimes Justice Project Outreach Officer at ++387 61 539 535 or email at wcjp@odihr.pl