The HJPC Prioritizes Proceedings in Criminal Cases Against Public Health

(Patria) - The High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HJPC BiH/Council) held a telephone session yesterday, during which, among other things, issues of importance for the further work of the judiciary in this period were discussed.

A decision was made that proceedings in criminal cases against public health are an absolute priority for all judicial institutions in BiH. As previously ordered by the Federal Staff of BiH, and earlier by the Crisis Staff of the RS, penalties for violating isolation have been tightened.

The law prescribes a prison sentence of up to one year for mere non-compliance with decisions and orders of competent authorities. However, legal experts point out that if individuals identified as infected persons do not respect isolation and thus contribute to the spread of infection, they can be punished with a prison sentence of up to eight years.

In the most severe case, if such behavior causes the death of one or more persons, a prison sentence of up to 12 years is prescribed.

Otherwise, the HJPC also adopted a conclusion on initiating an initiative for the adoption of an emergency regulation on temporary measures in judicial bodies in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the declared state of emergency.

Furthermore, the Council decided to suspend, until further notice or until notification from the HJPC BiH, the process of evaluating the work of judicial office holders in courts and prosecutor's offices in BiH for 2019, including the process of resolving objections to work evaluations, in such a way that the deadlines for submitting, or resolving objections, are considered not to be running until the aforementioned notification is delivered to judicial institutions by the HJPC BiH.