High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina endorsed the Platform to enhance safety and security of judicial office holders at its session held on 10 November 2022 in Sarajevo. This comprehensive document, developed over the past 12 months, sets out the current safety and security concerns of judges and prosecutors dealing with difficult cases, and charts a path forward on how to best address those concerns.

The Platform document is the result of close cooperation between court police professionals from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Council of Europe consultants, both local and international, as well as the engagement of the Council of Europe Office in Sarajevo.

’The Council of Europe is pleased to have contributed to such an important document. Judicial office holders should be able to exercise their functions independently and professionally, and ensuring their safety and security is a prerequisite’’, said Bojana Urumova, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Sarajevo, during the presentation of the document.

While its primary focus is on the safety and security of judges and prosecutors, the Platform also touches upon the protection of their families and property. The document is meant to grow into a fully-fledged strategy in the coming period, through involvement of other actors, to ensure a common understanding of the issues at stake, as well as a joint commitment to promote awareness among the wider professional community and general public.

The pilot project ''Enhancing safety and security of the judicial function holders in Bosnia and Herzegovina’’ was financed from Council of Europe funds.