Patria brings: Biographies of nine judges of the Constitutional Court of BiH

At tomorrow's plenary session of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the requests of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska and the Chairman of the BiH Presidency Bakir Izetbegović, concerning the NA RS Decision on holding a referendum in RS on September 25, nine judges will decide, three of whom are foreign nationals, writes the Patria news agency.

We bring their short biographies.

MIRSAD ĆEMAN – President of the Constitutional Court of BiH

He was elected judge of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2008. He was elected President of the Constitutional Court of BiH in 2015. He has undergone professional training at home and abroad in the field of judicial reform, application of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, drafting of legal regulations, criminal, civil and other proceedings, international humanitarian law, etc. He is a co-author of the Manual for Drafting Legal Regulations within the Justice Sector Development Project in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was engaged as a consultant in the drafting of a number of systemic laws and other regulations.

MATO TADIĆ – Vice-President

In 2002, he was elected judge of the Constitutional Court of BiH. In the period from May 2003 to June 2006, he served as President of the Constitutional Court of BiH. He has published several professional papers on the topic of criminal and constitutional law, administration and local self-government, and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. As a legal expert, he has participated in many international conferences on Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the conference held in Dayton.

MARGARITA CACA-NIKOLOVSKA – Vice-President

She was appointed international judge of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Macedonia) in 2011, and was elected Vice-President in 2015. She has lectured at numerous training courses, seminars and conferences on the European Convention on Human Rights and has been engaged as a legal expert in the field of human rights. She is the author of a significant number of professional articles in the field of law, especially those relating to the protection of human rights and freedoms.

ZLATKO M. KNEŽEVIĆ – Vice-President

He has been serving as a judge of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina since July 1, 2011. He is the author of several papers in the field of criminal law published in professional publications in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Serbia. He was a member of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina and President of the Executive Board of the Bar Association of Republika Srpska. He holds the highest recognition of the Bar Association of Republika Srpska.

TUDOR PANTIRU – Judge

In June 2002, he was appointed to the position of international judge of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Romania), and took office in September of the same year. From May 2003 to June 2006, he served as Vice-President of the Constitutional Court of BiH, and on May 26, 2012, he was re-elected to that position. Since April 2002, he has served as an international judge of the Supreme Court of Kosovo, and since April 2005, as an international presiding judge of the Special Chamber of the Supreme Court of Kosovo. He has published several articles in the legal journals “Legea si Viata” and “Avocatul Poporulu” from Chisinau. He also wrote the article “Protection of Refugees according to the European Court of Human Rights” for the book “Case Law of International Legal Institutions on the Issue of Refugees”, published by UNHCR BO, Moldova, Chisinau, 2000.

VALERIJA GALIĆ – Judge

She was elected judge of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 30, 2002, and took office in February 2003, after the constitutive session of the new convocation of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. She served as Vice-President of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina from June 2006 to May 26, 2012, when she was elected President of the Court.

As a member, she participated in several working commissions for the drafting and adoption of systemic laws from various fields. She is a co-author and reviewer of several professional publications. She was a member of the Commission for the professional examination for administrative staff in the Federation of BiH, and an examiner for the subjects Foundations of Constitutional Order and Foundations of Administration in the Federation of BiH.

MIODRAG SIMOVIĆ – Judge

He was elected judge of the Constitutional Court of BiH on May 13, 2003. He was elected to the position of Vice-President of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the end of May 2003, and re-elected in May 2006. He served as President of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina from May 30, 2009, to May 26, 2012, when he was re-elected Vice-President of the Court.

He is a full professor at the Faculty of Law in Banja Luka, the Faculty of Law in Istočno Sarajevo, and the Faculty of Law in Bihać, teaching Criminal Procedure Law.

CONSTANCE GREWE – Judge

The President of the European Court of Human Rights appointed her as a judge of the Constitutional Court of BiH on May 24, 2004 (Germany). From May 30, 2009, to May 26, 2012, she served as Vice-President of the Constitutional Court of BiH.

She has published numerous books and scientific articles in the field of comparative constitutional law, German constitutional law, and the interaction of international and domestic law.

She was a member of the Scientific Council of the University of Caen until 1997, and since 1997 she has been a member of the Scientific Council of the “Robert Schumann” University in Strasbourg. Since September 2003, she has also been Vice-President responsible for research.

Furthermore, she is a member of the Executive Committee of the Association française des constitutionalistes (AFDC) and Societas iuris publici europaei (SIPE). She is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the legal journal EuGRZ (Europäische Grundrechte Zeitschriff), and an expert in the Council of Europe.

SEADA PALAVRIĆ – Judge

She was elected judge of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2005. She served as President of the Court from 2008 to 2009, when she took over the position of Vice-President, which she held until 2015.

She was a member of the Federation of BiH team during the Dobrinja arbitration, which was carried out according to the decision of the High Representative for BiH. She has published several professional papers. She has participated in a large number of public gatherings at home and abroad on the topic of human rights and fundamental freedoms.