COURT DECISION: Law on Usurpations Does Not Violate Vital Interest of Bosniaks and Croats

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The Law on Usurpations and Voluntary Competencies did not violate the vital national interests of the Bosniak and Croat peoples, the Council for the Protection of Vital Interests of the Constitutional Court of Republika Srpska has decided.

The Council justified its position that there was no violation of the vital national interests of the Bosniak and Croat peoples in relation to the contested Law primarily by the fact that no provision of the said Law gives preference to any constituent people, nor does it make a distinction among them.

Furthermore, the Council assessed that the provisions of the Law in question are of a general nature and apply equally to all citizens of RS, and that no constituent people has been placed in an unequal position in the enjoyment of rights guaranteed by the Constitution of RS through its enactment.

We recall that the National Assembly of Republika Srpska passed the Law at a session held on 28 November 2019.

Subsequently, the Club of Delegates of the Bosniak people in the Council of Peoples of RS initiated a procedure for the protection of vital national interest regarding the Law on Usurpations and Voluntary Competencies, as they believe that the entry into force of this law would practically prevent the restitution of land that was illegally taken in the period up to 6 April 1941, or under certain conditions, land taken up to 31 December 1955.