FEAR OR SLOPPINESS Is the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina hiding behind months-long 'technical issues'?

Written by: A. Čorbo-Zećo

For months, key information about judges and case holders has been missing from the official website of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The names and biographies of judges have also been removed!

Recently, in response to an inquiry from the Patria news agency, the Court briefly stated that a new website is being developed, along with data migration and the introduction of new technical solutions. Therefore, as they claim, "certain parts of the existing website are currently not functional."

The problem, however, is not merely technical. Transparency in the work of the judiciary is one of the foundations of citizens' trust in institutions, and the months-long withholding of basic information cannot be justified solely by "website work."

It is hard to believe that the country's highest court, responsible for the most complex proceedings, has been unable to establish elementary functionalities of its internet platform for months.

Suspicions are further deepened by the political context. The disappearance of data on judges coincided with open threats from Milorad Dodik directed at judges handling cases against him and his associates. Dodik has repeatedly called on judges from the RS to leave BiH institutions, while simultaneously targeting specific presiding judges. It was precisely during this period that the names of judges mysteriously disappeared from the Court of BiH website.

From the public's perspective, it is difficult to ignore the connection: is this a matter of mere incompetent technical administration or a conscious retreat in the face of political pressure? If it is for security reasons, why does the Court of BiH not state this openly? If the problem is truly only technical, why are "technical issues" being resolved for months?

The legal and professional community has long warned that the politicization of the judiciary and pressure on judges represent the greatest threat to the system's independence. Such moves, whether born of fear or sloppiness, further erode citizens' trust.

Transparency in the work of the judiciary is not a luxury, but an obligation. When the Court of BiH stops publishing the names of judges, the public ceases to know who is handling the most important cases in the country. And where transparency ends, doubts begin.