Constitutional courts play a key role in protecting people’s rights. This week in Pristina, staff from the constitutional courts of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo* met for a practical exchange, joined by a constitutional law expert from Croatia.

With support from the Council of Europe, the meeting organised on 11-12 November 2025 helped the courts work more closely together and consistently apply standards embodied in the European Convention on Human Rights and case law of the European Court of Human Rights in their decisions.

Participants discussed everyday challenges: how constitutional courts are organised, how they keep their independence, and how they can be more open to the public. They also discussed the importance of cooperation not only among constitutional courts in the region, but also with regular courts at different levels. A strong focus was placed on experiences and challenges when it comes to enforcing constitutional court decisions.

Another topic was the application of digital tools. Participants noted that artificial intelligence, translation software, and smarter case-management systems can help courts process cases faster, share information, and ensure decisions are easier to follow and apply.

By strengthening cooperation and building networks, constitutional courts in the Western Balkans are better prepared to protect human rights and apply European standards.

The bilateral exchange was organised by the Council of Europe as part of the project “Supporting the consistent national implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights and facilitating the execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” which is funded under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2022-2025, and the project “Support to the Constitutional Court in Applying and Disseminating European Human Rights Standards – Phase II”.

* All references to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population shall be understood in full compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.